


Baby Hotline

by CrazyStarFish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, BAMF Molly Weasley, BAMF Sirius Black, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Cedric Diggory Lives, Dumbledore's Army, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Horcruxes, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Misguided Albus Dumbledore, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Regulus Black Lives, Second War with Voldemort, Severus Snape is So Done, Sirius Black Lives, Texting, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 45,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyStarFish/pseuds/CrazyStarFish
Summary: Faced with an upcoming Wizarding War, and the fact that "secret" communication might not be so secret anymore, Hermione does the logical thing and gets phones for all. It's the perfect solution after all, what with most wizards not even knowing the fashion of Muggles, let alone how to use their technology.Things happen from there, as they always seem to do. Some good, some bad, but all, in the end, rather useful.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Petunia Evans Dursley/Vernon Dursley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Tulip Karasu/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 208
Kudos: 301





	1. Baby Hotline

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an AU in which Cedric lives- here, he was near fatally wounded by Wormtail, but still lived. Somehow. I might write a prequel for this. As I'm posting this from my phone, the formatting might be off, and I apologize in advance for that. I also apologize for any butchering of Bristish slang I may have done, as I am but a poor American who only knows of British culture via Harry Potter and the Great British Bake Off.
> 
> I put in characters from Hogwarts Mystery because I can and they're good additions to the story :)
> 
> Also, Regulus lives too. I have an idea to bring him back, but that comes later. No spoilers! 
> 
> And yes, the title is a Jack Stauber song. I was trying to think of a title as the song came on shuffle, and if there's ever a sign from above, it would be that.
> 
> Expect updates to be sporadic as fuck.

**Chapter One**

_July 8th, 2015_

Harry laid awake in bed, clock showing the time was an hour to midnight. For eight days now, he'd been back at Privet Drive, and he was still waiting for Hedwig to return with his friends replies to his request to keep him updated.

For lack of anything better to do, he was catching up on his summer reading and assignments, an issue of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ propped up on his pillow, blanket pulled over his head, a small, dim flashlight aimed at the pages and moving illustrations. With one hand, he turned the page; the other was currently holding a quill poised above a piece of parchment.

_"Werewolves are among the most savage and dangerous of all humanoid beasts, including vampires, giants, and Inferi, and as such are classified as "XXXXX" by decree of the Ministry of Magic."_

Harry smirked ironically as he read that passage. Remus Lupin, his former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was one of the most patient and calm people he knew, and was certainly a far cry from the "savage" description in his book.

Granted, Remus Lupin was the _only_ werewolf he had ever met. But then, Harry supposed, if most werewolves were anything like his former teacher (and he had a suspicion they had to be) then his book really ought get updated.

With a sigh, he continued to read, adding his own opinions and comments on lycanthropy as he deemed necessary, as he knew Hagrid, his Care of Magical Creatures teacher, would probably be pleased to see that Harry harbored none of the animosity towards werewolves as he knew most of his classmates did.

_Tap tap tap._

Peeking out from under his blanket and quickly flicking his flashlight off, he silently crept across his room to unlock the window for Hedwig, who held a note in her beak and a package in her talons.

Harry smiled as Hedwig dropped the letter and package into his outstretched hands, nipping a finger affectionately when he reached out to pat her on the head. He quickly undid the twine around the box and saw a small cellphone within, and a note in Hermione's neat script.

_Dear Harry,_

_We've been told that now, with the Tournament being over with and Death Eaters on the move, we should expect our owls to be intercepted, which is a very worrying thing to hear. So I went out with Mum and Dad a few days ago and convinced them to get some mobiles for myself, you, and Ron. I figured your aunt and uncle might not get you one, or if they found it by postage, they would confiscate it, so I sent it along with Hedwig. The Death Eaters most likely don't have mobiles, and I_ highly _doubt they know how to use any phone that isn't the one that leads to an entrance to the Ministry, so I figure this is as good a "secretive" form of communication as any, right?_

_I already put in mine and Ron's number, it's all set up and everything. The password is your birthday, 0731, but you can change it if you want._

_Call me when you get the chance, and we'll try and catch up as much as we can! (Unless, of course, it's late, in which case please wait until morning, though Ron says you can call him whenever you'd like. I had to teach him how to use the phone, but he picked it up very quickly, and I've had some very interesting conversations with his dad and siblings about the various goings-on right now.)_

_Love,_

_Hermione_

Harry smiled to himself as he read Hermione's letter, turning the phone over in his hands. He could only imagine how enthusiastic and excited Mr. Weasley must have been to use a mobile for the first time, recalling the delight he had when Harry first showed him how to use a home phone. 

Looking quickly between the letter from Ron and the mobile, he switched the phone on and waited for it to boot up as he opened Ron's note.

_Harry_

_Did you get that phone thing yet? Dad's gone nuts- Hemione and him talked until the battery died, and then we had to wait until Bill Floo'd in to remind us to plug it in so we could keep using it. Bit obvious in retrospect now, we wondered what the cord thing was for, Dad reckoned it was just a spare part at first._

_Hermione says not to call til morning or late at night, probably so she can sleep or doesn't wake her folks or whatever. But call me as_ soon _as you get this mate, I've_ _loads_ _to tell you._

_Ron_

Harry looked down at the phone, now fully loaded with a bright blue sky as a background, and quickly typed in _0731,_ as per Hermione's instructions. He found the app with a small phone icon fairly fast, and opened it to find two numbers already plugged into the _"contacts"_ list.

With a small thrill of excitement, he dialed the number under Ron's name and waited, making sure the volume was down. The only other mobile he'd used was Aunt Petunia's, and even that was only ever once in a blue moon.

"H'llo? Wh- ... oh, _shit!_ Hey Harry! Finally got the mobile thing?"

Harry smiled widely as he heard Ron's voice, nodding and then realized he couldn't see him.

"Yeah, I did. You, er, said you had loads to tell me? In your letter?"

Harry could hear shuffling on Ron's end, and a door cracking open as he replied.

"Yeah mate, shit's so fucking _crazy_ right now, like you wouldn't _believe._ We're in this old, nasty cursed house-" 

"Oi, who the _fuck_ are you talking to at this hour?!"

Harry bit his lip to contain his laughter as he heard Fred's indignant voice at being woken. Ron, who Harry knew had a bit of a sore spot with the twins pretty much always, did what sounded like jumping on a bed several times as a response, if the creaking springs and muffled _thumps_ were anything to go by.

"Oi yourself, Harry's on the phone. You want to talk to- hey, don't hit me, arse! I'll fuck you up!"

"With what skills, brother dearest?" George replied, sounding as if he was speaking into a pillow. (Which was probably very likely.)

Ron huffed, then sighed as the door creaked again and another hushed voice joined the fray.

"You numbskulls better keep it down, before Mum finds out and confiscates that thing."

"Hullo, Ginny." Harry said, feeling slightly awkward as he greeted her, seeing as he couldn't see her and had a few embarrassing moments with her in the past, though less so then he might've a few years ago.

"Harry says hello to you, Ginny." Ron sounded very exasperated and fed up with his siblings at this point.

"Oh, _Harry's_ on the phone, Georgie and Ginerva sweetumsies. Well, Ronniekins, why didn't you just _say_ so?"

"I've been trying!" Was Ron's response, but before he could continue the door opened once again and a familiar, mild voice Harry hadn't heard in over a year spoke.

"Now, what are you all doing up so late? Your mother told you all to go to sleep an hour ago."

"Professor Lupin!" Harry said in a hushed voice, mindful of the other occupants in the house, smiling widely.

"Hullo Lupin. Harry's on the phone, apparently. And Ron and the twins are fighting as usual." Ginny said as way of explanation.

"Ah, I see." came the amused reply from Lupin. "Well, put him on speaker, and wait for me to get Sirius. I imagine he'll be quite happy to hear from Harry too, and quite cross with us if we were to let him sleep the night away." And with that, the door opened and closed once more.

"Oi, how do we put this fucker on speaker again?" Ron asked, sounding as if he was waving the phone around his head.

"Press a button?" Ginny offered. 

"Nah, just chuck it against the wall. That's how Charlie turned it on, remember?" George said, sounding like he was only half joking.

Harry decided to pipe in before they turned the phone off, or worse.

"You have to press- okay, there's icons- those are little pictures on the screen, by the way- on the phone. And one of them will look… kinda like a sideways hat, with two backwards C's going away from it? _That's_ what you want to press to put me on speaker, but make sure the volume's not too high, so we don't wake your mum."

"Cheers, mate." There was a faint _tap_ and suddenly, Harry could hear the other occupants on the other end more clearly.

"Hello Harry." Ginny, Fred, and George chorused quietly.

"Hello," Harry said, leaning against the wall as he listened to his friends. "Ron said that there was a lot to tell me?"

"Yeah. Like… _loads._ Dumbledore has made a group to fight You-Know-Who, but he's made the group before, just with different people. Apparently, your parents were in it?"

He swallowed hard at that, recalling how, just over two weeks ago, he had talked to his parents in the graveyard.

The graveyard. Where Voldemort was resurrected. Where Wormtail lost his hand, where he, Harry, had been tortured under the Cruciatus…

He shook his head. Better to not think about that.

"Really? That's- cool." He said in what he hoped was confident tone. "Er… what's the group called?"

"The Order of the Phoenix." And _that_ was Sirius, and if Harry was smiling before, it was nothing compared to now.

"Sirius!" 

"Hey, kid. Remus told me you called, said something about Hermione sending a phone that fits in your pocket over?"

"A mobile, love." Lupin replied.

"Right, that. Anyways… how are you?"

"I'm… okay. Same as usual, pretty much. Privet Drive is really… boring. Only interesting thing that's happened this week is Dudley, my, er, cousin, tried to smuggle a box of donuts into his room by throwing the box through his open window, but ended up striking Aunt Petunia in the face with it. I'm pretty sure that's the closest she's ever come to grounding him."

Harry heard the others, even Lupin, laugh or giggle quietly at that, Sirius's barking laugh halfheartedly shushed by Lupin.

"Yeah, so that was fun to deal with… er, so… can you tell me more about the Order thing?"

"Harry-" Lupin began, sounding as if he didn't want him to know, but Sirius cut him off.

"Of course, kid. What d'you want to know?"

Harry thought for a minute, before asking, "What's this Order thing for? Why where my parents in it? Are _you_ in it? What's being done to stop Voldemort, since the Minister is set on ignoring the fact that he's back? And-" he paused, now realizing something painfully obvious. "What are you and Lupin doing with the Weasley's? I thought Dumbledore told you to lie low at Lupin's."

Harry heard Sirius chuckle lowly. "Got 'em all out kid? Well, let's see… the Order of the Phoenix is a sort of… resistance group against Voldemort. Your parents were in it to fight against him. Remus and I were in it the first time around, and yes, we're in it again. And honestly, the Order is the best we can do against Voldemort, at least until he comes out of the woodwork in all his creepy, snakey glory. And Remus and I are with the Weasleys because we're in my old house…" At this, Sirius laughed, but it sounded bitter. "It's currently serving as the base for the Order, it's got wards and defenses like you wouldn't _believe._ But it's also filled to the brim with cursed and dark objects, so it's been a pain to try and make this place fit for human occupation when the very air you breathe is saying "fuck you! Die!""

Harry winced. True, he was fairly okay with doing most chores, but doing chores while everything tried to kill you sounded like it sucked.

"Sirius…" Ginny began sweetly, and Harry _knew_ that tone. It was the same one she often used on her mother to worm her way out of trouble, or to get something she wanted. "Are you going to tell Harry about what the Order is currently doing, and who is in it?"

Harry heard Lupin begin to protest again, and, like before, Sirius cut him off.

"He has a right to know, Moony… he _fought_ Voldemort just over a week ago. We can tell him _some_ things, can't we?"

Lupin sighed. "... fair. Only _some_ things, mind you. Molly would have both of our hides if she found out we told him everything."

"Great!" Sirius chirped, as the door opened again, and Harry distinctly heard all the Weasleys and Sirius whisper _"shiiiiiiiit."_ at the same time, in various levels of worry.

"Wotcher! We having a midnight party now?" 

The new voice was unfamiliar to him. It was definitely a woman, but not one Harry had ever met before.

"Nymphadora." Lupin greeted the newcomer warmly, as the woman hissed "Don't _call_ me _Nymphadora._ It's a fool's name, really. Any name would be better. Like… Hannah. Or Alex. Something nice, simple, not something out of a fifteenth century fantasy novel."

"Harry, this is Sirius's cousin, Nyphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only."

"Oh, he finally got that mobile the Granger girl sent him? Nice." Nyphadora- Tonks, said.

"Anyway," Ginny cut in, probably before the conversation could derail further. "Harry wanted to know about the Order stuff, right Harry?"

"Er, yeah. Right." He said quickly. "You said the Order was working to oppose Voldemort? By doing… what?"

"We-ell…" Sirius began. "Getting people to join the fight against him, first off. It's hard to convince anyone that Lord Bitchface is back, but we've recruited my lovely cousin here, as you might have noticed, and lots of other people besides."

"Like..?"

"Hmmm… you know Dumbledore, Moony, and I are in it. Dumbledore has a brother, Aberforth, also joined. McGonagall too. Sprout, Flitwick, Moody, Molly and Arthur, Bill, Charlie, for whatever fucking reason Snape, greasy bastard-" Here, there were quiet murmers of consensus. "Sinestra, an old mate of mine and Moony's named Kingsley Shaklebolt, Amos-" 

"Cedric's dad?" Harry cut in. He hadn't heard from the boy since he was rushed to the wizarding hospital, St. Mungo's, where he was in an intensive care unit for losing his leg to a near fatal curse, courtesy of Wormtail.

"Yeah." Sirius replied. "He and his wife, Beatrice, joined together as soon as Dumbledore offered."

"And… how's Cedric?" Harry asked, fearing the worst.

"Recovering." Lupin said quickly, picking up on the worried tone. "He woke up two days ago, asking for you, but the Minister refused to let anyone go to get you. He- his leg couldn't be salvaged, and he'll be in Mungo's for most of the month and possibly all summer, but I assure you Harry, he'll be okay."

"Oh…" Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Christ."

"Yeah." Lupin said, and the rest of the room was in agreement. 

Sirius hummed, before continuing. "Let's see, who else is in the Order… oh! Mundungus Fletcher, he's a smuggler and seller of, er… less than desirable objects. Dumbledore has him and Jae Kim looking for "very old, and dark, valuables". He won't say what for, though… um, Tonks's mum, and my favorite cousin _ever-_ ** _ow!_** The _hell_ was that for?" Evidently, Tonks disagreed. 

"She's not allowed to be your favorite cousin, not with her taste in baby names."

"Alright, alright, _fine._ " Sirius said. "Andy is my _second_ favorite, happy?"

"Very." Was Tonks's smug reply. Lupin cleared his throat. 

"Sorry, Moony, it's hard to stay on track.. I'll finish up. Andy- Andromeda and her husband, Ted, er, Cedric wants to join as soon as he's out, um…"

"-Tulip Karasu, Penny Haywood, Talbott Winger, Chiara Lobosca, Badeea Ali, and Diego Caplan." Tonks cut in, sounding proud. Sirius hummed in agreement. 

"Yup… um, Hagrid, Daedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, Elphias Doge, Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, and Arabella Figg… er, did I get them all, Moony?"

"I believe so, love." Lupin replied, sounding faintly amused.

"That's… a lot of people." Harry said quietly, sitting down on his bed as Dudley and Uncle Vernon snored away in the other rooms, helping to hide his voice from his relatives further.

"And we're hoping to get more. Hell, we _need_ more, even if they're not outright members, but spies on the inside, collecting information and intelligence, which is another thing we're trying to do. Shacklebolt, Winger, Tonks, Caplan, and Moody are all Aurors, and Kingsley is assigned to my case, since, y'know, I'm still on the run. So he's feeding them information, or rather, _mis_ information on my whereabouts. Very handy. Lots of the members we have hold ministry jobs, so they come back with lists of important people and things to take note of."

"Like what?" Fred asked, seeming to poke Ginny in the side, if her squeak of laughter was anything to go by.

"Who's suspected of supporting Voldemort, who's in favor of Dumbledore, the type of objects they might be trying to smuggle to Voldemort, under the table dealings, blackmail and extortions, stuff like that." Lupin replied, the amusement gone from his voice, now replaced with weariness. "And I, along with Chiara Lobosca, are trying to sway the werewolves away from Voldemort."

"No _way_ they support _him._ How can they?!" Harry cried, before remembering to keep his voice down. For one heart stopping moment, he thought he heard his uncle and cousin's snores cease, but then they started back up again, and he quietly sighed in relief. 

"Er, sorry… I mean, _why_ would they?" Harry began again, quieter. "Don't they realize that any offer Voldemort makes he _doesn't_ intend to uphold?"

"You would think." Lupin replied curtly. "But unfortunately, you do have to remember that many of them have been ostracized and shunned by their fellow wizards. What Voldemort offers- unlimited prey, being seen as equal to the average wizard, promises of Wolfsbane to all that want it… those are offers they've never had before, and don't intend to refuse, in most cases. Some think it too good to be true, others are suspicious as to what Voldemort wants in exchange, but many more are seriously considering his offer."

"Oh…" Harry said quietly. "Um, Professor Lupin-" 

"Just Remus or Lupin is fine Harry, seeing as I'm no longer your teacher." And Harry was relieved to hear the faint note of amusement back in Lupin's voice.

"Erm, okay… are you… safe, when you meet with the other werewolves, if they support Voldemort? They're not- mad at you for fighting against him or anything?"

"Don't worry about me, Harry. I promise I'm okay on my missions, I did this back in the first Order, so I know how to placate them if things start to get out of hand. Plus, I had a lot of practice as a teacher, you know."

On the other end, Harry heard Sirius grumble faintly, but it was drowned out by the sound of Ron asking him a question.

"If your mission is to convince the werewolves to stay away from You-Know-Who, what's everyone else's missions?"

Suddenly, the door opened- on Harry's end. Panicking, he threw the phone across the room into his half empty wardrobe, grateful for remembering to turn the volume down earlier.

"Just _what_ do you think you're doing up at _this_ hour, freak? Who are you talking to?"

 _Shit._ Aunt Petunia. He forgot she did her cleaning around this time, and must've finished up, only to hear him on the phone.

"Erm…" Harry scrambled to find an excuse. "I was… talking to Hedwig?" he offered sheepishly.

Aunt Petunia strolled into the room, a salmon colored dressing gown over her pajamas, stinking of cleaning fluid and flowery perfume.

"Hrmph… to your _owl?_ At nearly _one_ in the morning?" 

"Erm…" Shit, he hadn't realized it was that late already. This could only end so well.

With anger and annoyance flashing in her eyes, she grabbed a half broken ruler off of Harry's desk, her other hand snatching his wrist roughly to keep him in place as he tried fruitlessly to squirm out of her grip, and smacked him square across the face, the sound echoing in the small room, along with Harry's quiet cry of pain.

"Go. To. _Sleep._ " Aunt Petunia hissed, dropping the ruler on the floor and slamming the door on her way out. Rubbing his cheek and wrist, anger rolling hot in his head and chest, he went to his bed, fully intent on hiding under his covers until morning, until he remembered his phone, and winced, rushing silently to the wardrobe and pulling it out, hiding under his covers with it clutched tightly in one hand.

"-rry? Harry! Kid, are you okay? What happened?! C'mon, answer! Blast..."

Feeling guilty now, along with anger towards Aunt Petunia for interrupting what had previously been a very good night for him, Harry took a few calming breaths before answering Sirius, even quieter than before.

"Sorry, erm… Aunt Petunia almost caught me on the phone. I had to hide it… I think I have to go now, before she _really_ catches me…" Harry trailed off. He didn't _want_ to end the call, but what choice did he have? If Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon found his phone, they'd snap it in half or burn it and probably lock him in his room for the reminder of the summer.

"Harry, love…" Lupin began gently, sounding almost… afraid? "Did… did your Aunt hurt you? Are you okay?" 

For some reason, the thought of Lupin or Sirius or any of his friends finding out that the Dursleys did indeed hurt him caused a knot of anxiety in his chest, replacing the anger with nothing but cold fear. What would they say if they he told them? And besides, how bad was it _really?_ Surely not _that_ bad, not enough to warrant that tone of worry in Lupin's voice. Unwilling for his friends to view him as someone incapable of fighting his own battles, he quickly shook his head.

"Nah." He lied easily, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "Hedwig was playing with a rubber band, s'all." 

"Alright…" Lupin replied, sounding dubious. 

"Really." Harry continued. "She likes playing with things, you know how owls are."

From her place on his headboard, Hedwig gave him the stink eye. Harry looked at her apologetically. 

"Okay, okay… we'll talk in the morning again, yeah?"

"Yeah." Then. "Profess- sorry, erm.. Lupin, do _you_ have a phone?"

"I do," Lupin replied, as Tonks said "I do too!" "Would you like my number?"

"Yes, please." Harry held his phone slightly away from his face, opening up a new slot in the _"contacts"_ list and typing in the name "Remus Lupin".

When he and Tonks had given Harry their numbers, with assurances that he could call either of them "anytime, for any reason at all." Harry felt slightly better.

"Thanks guys…" he let out a small yawn, rubbing what promised to be a black eye in the morning. "Goodnight, or, erm… good morning? I suppose? to you all…"

Harry received a round of goodnights and wishes of good sleep as he hung up the phone. He slid it into his secret loose floorboard, along with his book and half completed homework, already making plans to call later at the park or something similar.

Humming softly as he crawled back into bed, he fell into a deep, restful sleep for the first time since Voldemort came back.


	2. Dinner and Diatribes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! This took forever, there were several points where I just could not get the plot moving, but next chapter, I think we'll switch it up and do another person's POV. Or I'll just try a different idea/plotline for the next chapter.
> 
> Either way, enjoy!
> 
> Once again, apologizes for any weird formatting, this was done entirely on my phone.

_July 9th, 2015_

Harry awoke to the sound of rain hitting his window and Aunt Petunia tapping on his door. His eye, now black from being hit with a ruler, throbbed slightly, but otherwise, it wasn't as bad as it could be, and he was suddenly grateful for avoiding telling his friends about last night. It really wasn't such a big deal.

Really.

"Up!" Aunt Petunia said, breaking through his thoughts in her usual shrill voice. "Get breakfast going!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry replied dutifully, quickly changing into a pair of baggy jeans and a five year old shirt of Dudley's that he almost fit perfectly now, heading downstairs to start frying eggs.

As he cooked breakfast, he ignored the hushed, angry murmuring from his Aunt and Uncle, opting to focus on toasting the bread.

"Boy," Uncle Vernon began, and Harry's stomach lurched with a sudden bout of anxiety at his tone. "Your Aunt tells me you were… conversing with thin air last night."

Harry couldn't help himself. "With Hedwig, actually. I was, er… bouncing ideas off her."

"Don't talk back to me!" Uncle Vernon snapped, quickly pulling the plate of eggs towards him and eating with an angered frenzy. "Bouncing ideas off a _pigeon,_ he says… well, you listen here boy. I don't care what sort of… _funny stuff_ that ruddy school of yours teaches you, but you'll put an end to your- your,- midnight ramblings, or they'll be consequences to pay, you hear?"

"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry said, placing the toast on the table and frying the low fat turkey bacon Aunt Petunia had bought as a mollifier for Dudley just as the boy in question came into the room, sitting on a chair with a _thump._

Although he had definitely lost some weight, diet cheating and donut smuggling notwithstanding, he was still as porky as ever, and ate all the food on the table in the time it took Harry to plate up and serve the bacon.

"Mum," Dudley belched. "Mum, why can't I have _normal_ bacon? Piers gets to have normal bacon."

Bracing himself for the same argument he had heard three times this week alone, Harry quickly ate a piece of bread with some snuck on jam on it as Aunt Petunia tried to placate Dudley.

"Darling, you know what the doctor said… you mustn't eat food too high in fat until you reach a healthier weight-"

"Bullshit!" Uncle Vernon cried, slamming his fork into the table. "All this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about kids being "too fat" and a "diabetic increase the likes of which have never been seen before in history," it's all just excuses for doctors to get rich treating imaginary diseases under the guise of "helping." Well, I won't have it Petunia, Dudley is plenty healthy, and he ought get a reward for making the wrestling team at Smelting's, eh?"

"I thought I was getting a new telly for making the team, Dad." Dudley whined. Uncle Vernon chuckled slightly.

"We'll get you both, son, don't worry."

Nodding in satisfaction, Dudley finally ate his serving of bacon as Harry tried unsuccessfully to sneak back upstairs.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Aunt Petunia said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Um… upstairs?" 

This was the wrong answer, as Aunt Petunia shook her head. "No, you'll put your shoes on and de-weed the garden, Vernon has a potential buyer coming over later and I want this place spick and span."

"That's right." Uncle Vernon said smugly. "And it has the potential to be the biggest deal of my career, so you better not muck it up like you did last time, boy. No funny business, no funny stories, _nothing."_

Harry sighed. It was too much to ask for that they believe him that the last "incident" (courtesy of Dobby the house-elf trying to "save" his life) wasn't his fault. "Yes, Uncle Vernon."

With guests coming over, there would be no way for him to get away to make a call until later, perhaps not even until tomorrow. 

Harry was only slightly mollified by the fact that his friends would also be spending the day cleaning.

  
  


\--------------

  
  


Nearly five hours later, Harry collapsed on his bed, arms aching and covered in bits of mud and paint, leaves and twigs caught up in his unruly hair. Although the rain had stopped by the time he went out, Aunt Petunia also had him mow the lawn, clean out the gutters, repaint the shutters on the front of the house and mailbox, wipe down the outside dining area, and trim the hedges and trees.

Now, with the sun well up, the ground was nearly dry, and Aunt Petunia was in the middle of a cleaning spree, Dudley was out with his friends, and Uncle Vernon was at work, though he hadn't missed the opportunity to cuff Harry in the head with his briefcase, smirking nastily as he drove off when Harry rubbed his head in pain.

Taking a quick glance around his room, he wondered how likely he'd be to sneak out with his phone.

Deciding the risk was worth it, he quickly pocketed the phone and a five pound note as an afterthought for lunch, slipping off to the bathroom to wash up and tiptoeing down the stairs, sighing softly to himself as he made it out the door in one piece. He'd pay for it later, but for now, he was free to talk to his friends.

Waiting until Privet Drive was well out of sight, he pulled his phone out and dialed Hermione's number, humming as the janky ringtone played.

"Hello? Hermione Granger speaking."

Harry smiled. The greeting was very… Hermione. "Hullo, Hermione. How are you?" 

"Harry! I was wondering when you'd call!"

"Sorry… I only got the phone last night, and I've had to do a lot of cleaning."

"Oh, well that's quite alright then. Mum's making cake for the head of a drilling company we're supposed to be visiting later, her brother asked us to come with him, did you know he works as an architect for schools?"

"Er, no, I didn't."

"Well, he does. Uncle Aaron works mainly on colleges and universities, and he's been _dying_ to see Hogwarts, but of course, I'm not sure he can, because he's a muggle, and there's quite a few charms on the castle preventing muggles from seeing it."

Harry listened to Hermione ramble about the various charms and defenses placed on Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds as he walked towards a more populated part of town, which quickly turned into a conversation about Charms homework and if he had finished it- ("Hermione, school _ended_ eight days ago!") as he walked into a small cafe, five pound note in hand.

"Er, Hermione, I'm… going to have to put you on hold for a mo', I've got to order lunch."

"Alright. What are you going to get? Where are you at?"

"Um… a small place called "Cassie's Coffeehouse" and, erm…" Harry walked up to the counter, phone hanging in one hand as he looked over the menu, waiting for the couple in front of him to finish. He decided on a tuna melt with crisps, ordering quickly and sitting down at a table in a corner.

"So, erm, you were saying?"

"Oh! Well, I think the homework was fairly easy, but Flitwick's question about what _Arresto Momentem_ was originally for threw me for a loop, I can't find the answer in " _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5"._ Or _anywhere,_ really."

Feeling slightly vindictive that he knew something Hermione didn't (a rare occasion) Harry answered, keeping his voice down. "It was originally created to slow down the Quaffle, Hermione. It was in " _Quidditch Through the Ages."_ "

There was silence for a few seconds, then- "OH THANK YOU, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER EVERYWHERE."

Wincing as Hemione yelled her thanks, Harry held the phone away from his face as he waited for her to return back to a reasonable volume. The waitress who served him his meal gave him a sympathetic smile, which Harry returned.

"... got it all out?" He said, echoing his godfather from earlier.

"Oh, yes…" Hermione replied sheepishly, before continuing her rambling from earlier, which was mostly one-sided, as Harry was focused on his lunch, and then trying to draw out how long he could wait before he had to return back to Privet Drive.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said after a while. "Er, I'm sorry, but… I have to go now… talk to you later?"

"Of course. I'll text you once I'm done with dinner, yeah?"

"Yeah." Harry agreed. "Talk to you later, Hermione."

"Bye, Harry!" Hermione chirped, and there was a faint _click_ as the line went dead, Harry pocketing his phone and throwing his rubbish in a bin as he walked out of the cafe and back towards his house, dread creeping into his thoughts.

\---------------

As it turned out, by a _very_ good stroke of luck, his Aunt had in fact not noticed him missing, too busy arguing with Mrs. Number 7 about the merits of an iron fence around a garden verses a white picket fence. When Aunt Petunia has saw him (sneaking in from a neighbor's yard and coming out of the backyard as if he had been there all along) she immediately demanded that he take her side, which he did, despite the fact that he privately agreed that iron fences looked better.

Probably Hogwarts rubbing off on him.

By the time dinner had rolled around, (pork loin, mashed potatoes, salad, and rolls) Aunt Petunia was decked out in her best cocktail dress, Uncle Vernon and Dudley were wearing matching suits, and Harry was up in his room eating a cheese sandwich and texting Ron, who had taken the liberty of sending several _very_ amusing videos about his siblings to Harry. His favorite was the one of Bill taking a hairband off Ginny, and Ginny jumping on his back and swatting him with a dish towel until the hairband was returned.

Harry missed his friends.

_Bzzz. Bzzzz._

Stifling his laughter, Harry looked out the window and nearly dropped his sandwich in shock as he saw his Aunt and Uncle greeting a tall man and woman… and _Hermione._

Fumbling with his phone, he closed the group chat and started texting Hermione, trying to get her attention without drawing any to himself.

**Harry:** HERMIONE 

**Harry:** YOU ARE AT MY HOUSE WHAT T HE FUCK

 **Harry:** HOW DID YOU F O R G E T TO TELL ME WHOSE HOUSE YOU WERE GOING TO????

 **Harry:** HERMIONE ANSWER YOUR PHONE I SWEAR H O W

Harry put his phone down, and listened to the chatter downstairs. Cracking his door open slightly to hear better, he heard Hermione ask "I'm terribly sorry, but where is your loo?"

As Aunt Petunia directed Hermione to the bathroom, Harry closed his door again, and looked at the several new messages from Hermione.

_Hermione:_ I'm sorry!!!!!

 _Hermione:_ I didn't know it was YOUR house!!!

 _Hermione:_ And why is this house so clean? It's creepy. No house should be this organized. It's like seeing Peeves be nice to someone.

 **Harry:** Or Binns being interesting for once?

 _Hermione:_ Professor Binns is plenty interesting.

 **Harry:** Everyone and their mother knows that's a lie

 _Hermione:_ Harry.

 **Harry:** That is my name

 _Hermione:_ Honestly.

 _Hermione:_ I have to go now. You're coming down for dinner, right?

 **Harry:** Did you see a place for me? You know how my Aunt and Uncle are. They'd rather pretend I didn't exist at all

 _Hermione:_ Harry, that's... really awful. Have you even eaten dinner?

 **Harry:** _{pictureofsandwich.jpeg}_

 _Hermione:_ Well… at least that's something. But I'm still sorry about this. You shouldn't be kept away like.. like some kind of unwanted pet!

 **Harry:** Hermione, I'm fine. Honestly.

 **Harry:** Look, you should probably go back out before they get suspicious.

 _Hermione:_ Alright, fine. But don't think I don't know what you're really trying to do here.

 **Harry:** Who, me?

 _Hermione:_ :/

 _Hermione:_ Talk to you soon

 **Harry:** Bye Hermione

Harry sighed softly, fiddling with the phone for a few moments as he heard Hermione rejoin the conversation. As far as he could tell, they were discussing the sort of buildings Hermione's uncle would build. After about five seconds, he stopped listening in and looked down to see three new messages from Ron.

**_Ron:_ **mate you wouldnt believe it

 **_Ron:_ **ginny threw up on fred after he put something weird in her drink

 **_Ron:_ **then ginny DRANK MORE and threw up on george because "she knew he was in on it"

 **Harry:** Ron, your sister terrifies me

 **_Ron:_ ** mate she terrifies ME

Ginny: Hey, you know I'm in this group chat too

 **_Ron:_ **GINNY WHAT THE ACTUAL BLOODY HELL

Ginny: Hermione's mum needed a new phone, so she gave it to Hermione, who gave it to me. duh

 **_Ron:_ ** Fred, your favorite brother here. that's not fair

 **_Ron:_ ** George, your ACTUAL favorite brother here. i agree.

 **_Ron:_ ** 7RXUTXOCI8f7r6ez656EZE6z8t

 **_Ron:_ **<'Ydz8td7rs<$@=!< d8f'i<%%8_%8/u<$'d7rx7rv. x7rx7rx7rx

 **Harry:** Ron, mate, you okay?

 **Harry:** Ron?

Ginny: AHAHAHAHA 

Ginny: MUM CONFISCATED THE PHONE

Ginny: THE TWINS AND RON WERE FIGHTING AND SHE JUST SNATCHED IT OUT OF GEORGES HABD

Ginny: **HAND

 **Harry:** Shit

 _Hermione:_ Oh, honestly. Please don't break it, Mrs. Weasley, phones aren't cheap!

Ginny: THIS IS THE GREATEST FUCKING THING EVER

Ginny: DAD IS TRYING TO CONVINCE HER TO GIVE IT BACK AND SHE SAYS "NO"

Ginny: oh shit lupin joined the party

 **Harry:** Lupin to the rescue

Ginny: sirius here, very true

Ginny: remus has always been the peacemaker no matter where he goes

Ginny: ginny here again, mum gave the phone back… to sirius

Ginny: this is better than those soap operas dads hooked on

 **Harry:** Suddenly not so sure I want to be wherever you guys are

Ginny: mum's making treacle treat

 **Harry:** No no I change my mind, take me there now please

Ginny: i will eat your portion for you. and enjoy it greatly

 **Harry:** You wound me. You're a heartless demon child. How does your mum even think you an innocent angel?

Ginny: it's the eyes. and the tone of voice. she can't resist 

**_Ron:_ **and the fact that you! are! a! BABY

Ginny: TAKE THAT BACK YOU FLOBBERWORM COCKHEAD

Harry snorted to himself, pressing a hand over his mouth as he shook with silent laughter. After a few moments, he was able to compose himself again.

**Harry:** Again, how does your mother think you an innocent angel?

 **Lupin:** Ginny, I would be careful using that kind of language if I was you, as your mother keeps passing behind me, trying to read my messages

Ginny: first off, shit

Ginny: second, that's an invasion of privacy 

Ginny: mum stop reading my old prof's messages

 **Lupin** : I do believe she aims to see if I am texting "a pretty lady", as she has already tried to set me up with several of her friends, and has also asking me if I am seeing anyone and who my ideal partner would be 

Ginny: ewwww, profs don't do (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) anything but assign homework and shit

 **Harry:** I have to agree with Gin. Also, how do you know what a lenny face us?

Ginny  google 

Ginny: also mum asked lupin (once again) if he was seeing anyone

Ginny: for whatever fucking reason, sirius finds it EXTREMELY funny when she asks that question

 **Harry:** I'm confused

 **_Ron:_ ** me too mate

 _Hermione:_ I'm not.

 **Lupin:** Hermione, do you just know everything? Should I assume you know even my favorite color?

 _Hermione:_ Silver and yes.

 _Hermione:_ Sirius stole your phone yesterday and asked me for advice, since "Ginny offered me the worst possible outcome for something and now I'm panicking"

 **Lupin:** I don't have any messages from you?

 _Hermione:_ We deleted them. And you'll know soon enough :)

 **Harry:** … I'm even more confused than before

 **_Ron:_ ** same mate

 **_Ron:_ **also, lupin, you cant like silver, thats a snake color

 **Lupin : **What is it the kids say?

 **Lupin:** Ah, yes

 **Lupin:** I don't give a fuck

 **Harry:** You're very sassy, Lupin

 **_Ron:_ **mate you have said worse

 **_Ron:_ ** far, FAR worse

 **Lupin : **this is sirius I stole remus' phone please for the love of Merlin spill the beans on how sassy my kid is

 **Harry:** I'm not THAT bad

Ginny: to snape, second year: "i'd ask if you're a vampire but you're not nearly hot or sparkly enough"

 **_Ron:_ ** malfoy: "if i was your friend potter i'd poison your tea"

Ginny: "if you were my friend i'd drink it"

 _Hermione:_ "They say love is blind, Malfoy. Your parents must have been especially so to have let you live past birth".

 **_Ron:_ ** to malfoy: "somewhere out there, theres a tree that works tirelessly, day in day out, to create the very air you breathe. you need to find that tree and apologize to it"

Ginny: "i refuse to believe you were the sperm that won"

 **Harry:** I never say anything that isn't well deserved 

**Lupin:** harry still sirius here im so proud of you and i know lily, queen of sass herself, would encourage you to cuss and sass mini malfoy and snivellus out to your hearts contend6zyeEyd#<$-urd9yf

 **Lupin:** Sirius is no longer allowed to have my phone, and please, for the sake of my heart and health when I hear you've beat Sirius for "most detentions in a year" do NOT "cuss and sass" Draco and Severus out to your heart's content.

Ginny: BOOOOOOOOO

Ginny: fuck em up harry

Harry had to take a few deep, calming breaths, face spilt open in a wide grin. He missed talking face to face with his friends, but this… this was a good substitute.

He was going to need to buy Hermione a thank you present.

Downstairs, he could hear Aunt Petunia's breathy, fake laughter at one of Aaron Granger's jokes, and Hermione's mum saying- "Hermione, darling, what's so funny on your phone?"

"Oh!" Hermione said, seeming to be caught off guard. "Erm, that video of the dog seeing stairs for the first time?"

**Harry:** Guys we need to stop, Hermione's about to get busted for laughing too much

Ginny: today bill cussed the twins out for nearly setting some papers of his he had to sign on fire and mum grounded him

Ginny: he's 24 

**_Ron:_ ** it's true i was there

 **_Ron:_ **no dessert for bill now

Ginny: poor bitch

 **Lupin:** Hermione, why not just put away your phone?

 _Hermione:_ Because, what if I'm needed?

 _Hermione:_ And also, I'm really sorry Harry, but your cousin and Uncle's eating makes me sick, and I need a distraction from them.

 **Harry:** Oh, I know

 **Harry:** First time Hagrid meet Dudley he tried to turn him into a pig

 **Harry:** It didn't work, he only got a tail, but still, to quote Hagrid

 **Harry:** "I guess he was so much like a pig there wasn't much left to change anyway"

 **_Ron:_ **holy fuck i think i remember you telling me this

Ginny: morgana almighty i would've paid to see that

 _Hermione:_ I don't want to be mean, but… I feel like he deserved that, if only to learn a lesson from it.

 **Lupin:** … okay then. 

_"Lupin" is offline_

_"Lupin" is online_

**Lupin: **sirius here, i took remus' phone again

 **Lupin:** and harry i want you to know that remus only told you no out of a sense of moral obligation 

**Lupin:** as he was smiling when he sent that message

Ginny: i knew it, he's got a sense of humor

Ginny: the other day he set snape on fire for calling mum a "knockoff betty crocker"

Ginny: bill helped

 **_Ron:_ **sounds about right

 _Tonks : _ Wotcher!

 _Tonks: _Just got off my shift

 _Tonks : _Moody is a sadistic fucker

Ginny: what'd he do?

 _Tonks : _ Made us (other Aurors at my level) do drills

 _Tonks : _ And by "made us do drills" I mean he created an obstacle course from hell and made us run it!!! SEVEN!!! FUCKING!!! TIMES!!!

Ginny: oh yikes

 _Tonks : _ Now I'm starving and tired and my pants are ripped

 **_Ron:_ **but ALL your pants are ripped

 _Tonks : _ Yeah! But in the way I want them to be ripped!

Ginny: mum's making dinner right now

 _Tonks : _ Oh my fucking god yes

 _Tonks: _Tell your mother I love her and if she wasn't a taken woman I would marry her

 _Tonks: _I have a ring pop and everything ready for proposal

Ginny: don't you have a girlfriend?

 _Tonks : _ Yes, and fine then

 _Tonks : _ I'll marry your mother's cooking

 _Tonks : _My mum can't cook for shit

 **Harry:** I'm sure she's not that bad, cooking really isn't that hard

 **_Ron:_ ** its really not

 _Tonks : _ My mum has, on multiple occasions, set the entire kitchen on fire

 _Tonks : _ Making tea

 **Harry:** … you know, I'm almost impressed

 _Tonks: _It's her rich upbringing, apparently my aunts and Sirius are the same way

 **Lupin :** I can vouch for that, Sirius tried to make toast once and broke the pan, a spatula, set the ENTIRE loaf of bread on fire, and then broke my smoke alarm and sink

 **Harry:** Professor, you do not understand how badly I want to hear that story

Ginny: yeah, tell us!

 **_Ron:_ ** yeah, thats not something you can just say and then NOT give the full story to

 **Lupin :** Alright, well, here's what happened:

 **Lupin :** About sixteen years ago, on the morning after the last full moon of the month (there's usually two or three, unless there's a blue moon, then four to six)

 **Lupin :** I had hurt my hip during the transformation back, and couldn't stand, so Sirius took it upon himself to make me breakfast

 **Lupin :** In this order, he: Forgot to cut the bread to make toast, and set the whole loaf in the small pan over a gas stovetop

 **Lupin:** And when it caught on fire when he was distracted by making tea (somehow he made that alright)

 **Lupin:** The smoke alarm went off, and he panicked

 **Harry:** I think I see where this is going

 **Lupin :** He first dumped the loaf of bread directly onto the open flame so he could use the pan to beat the fire down

 **Lupin:** The pan, which was older then probably Tonks, broke off from the handle

 **Lupin:** Please keep in mind the smoke alarm is still going off, we live in a very small flat, and he's cooking breakfast solely so I can rest and recuperate 

**Harry:** And instead he's breaking your entire kitchen

 **Lupin :** Yes

 **Lupin:** Anyhow

 **Lupin:** The pan breaks, so Sirius throws the pan in the sink, which was immediately dented from the force of his throw, and also burned his hand before he threw the spatula at the fire alarm

Ginny: he killed two birds with one stone and broke half your cooking ware in one go

 **Lupin :** Precisely

 _Tonks : _ God LORD I thought I was bad in the kitchen

Ginny: you still are, don't worry

Ginny: yesterday you burnt water

 **Harry:** How in the name of god did you burn WATER

 _Hermione:_ That isn't scientifically possible 

_Tonks : _ I exist to annoy physics and the laws of thermodynamics 

**Harry:** I still want to know how you BURNED WATER

Ginny: we have to boil the water we drink because of how shitty the pipes are, but we have to put it through this filter thing first sometimes

Ginny: which tonks did not do

Ginny: ergo, burned water

 _Hermione:_ Oh, so she burned the extra materials in the water, not the water itself.

 _Hermione:_ That makes much more sense.

 **Lupin:** Anyways, Sirius is still, to this day, not allowed to cook unsupervised. 

**Harry:** Again, I'm almost impressed

 **Lupin :** Sirius says your sarcasm isn't amusing when it's aimed at him.

 **Harry:** :))))))))))

 **_Ron:_ ** you can make faces???

 _Hermione:_ You can make many faces Ron, you just have to know how.

 _Tonks : _:) :( >:( :v :p :3 :D XD oWo/OwO ;n; ;) B) :^)

 _Tonks: _Sky's the limit kiddo

Ginny: :DDDDDDDDDDD

 **_Ron:_ ** :DDDDDDDDDD

 **_Ron:_ **:^)

Ginny: XD :)))))))))) XDDDDDD OwO

 **Harry:** What have you created

 _Tonks : _ The fuck are you on about this is glorious

 **_Ron:_ ** XD

Ginny: OWO

 _Hermione:_ Lupin, I'm taking your advice because my cheeks are actually hurting from how hard I'm smiling.

 **Harry:** But that's the best kind of pain Hermione

 _Hermione:_ Not when you're at a dinner party trying to be mature!

_"Hermione" is offline._

**Harry:** There goes one of two braincells in this chat 

**_Ron:_ ** whos the other?

Ginny: lupin obviously 

**_Ron:_ ** fair

While there was a lull in the chat, as Hermione and the rest of his friends were eating dinner, Harry got up to his door and opened it again, just in time to hear Hermione say- "Pardon me, Mrs. Dursley, but your toilet is backing up… do you have another I can use? Only..." And here, she sounded almost embarrassed. "I need to do… _lady things."_ She finished in a whisper.

Aunt Petunia gave Hermione another breathy, high, fake laugh. "Oh, of course darling. Upstairs, first door to your left. Don't go exploring now," Another laugh, almost with a note of… panic? "We wouldn't want you to get lost now, would we?"

Harry held his breath as Hermione walked up the stairs, then,once he caught sight of her, waved her into his room. As soon as she was in, he hugged her tightly.

 _"Harry!"_ She said excitedly, before the smile slid off her face as she looked him over. "What on _earth_ happen to your eye?"

"Er…" Harry wasn't sure what to tell her, but it definitely wasn't going to be the truth. "I, er, ran into a door." He said, trying not to squirm under her piercing gaze.

"Hmmm." Was all she said, but thankfully, she didn't press the subject further, her curiosity in examining his room evident as she took in the Gryffindor flags pinned on his wall next to a small, handmade calendar, and his broomstick on the top of his wardrobe, which was partially opened to reveal clothes that had been folded and then tossed haphazardly in.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me, Harry." Hermione began gently, petting Hedwig. "But I do wish you wouldn't lie to me." Her eyes, while not exactly reproachful, did make Harry feel guilty.

"Sorry…" He said, sitting on his bed. "But, erm… I don't- I don't want to tell anyone how I got it."

"Harry…" and he hated that tone, so sad and full of pity. He didn't _need_ pity, or anything like that, because he was _fine_. "Is this about, you know…" To her credit, she looked uncomfortable, yet determined. "Is this about… your Aunt and Uncle? Did one of them do that to you?"

"Hermione, honestly. They're bad, yes, but not _that_ bad."

Harry felt even guiltier for lying to Hermione when she was both clearly very concerned for him and had just asked him not to lie to her, but when her face softened, he knew he made the right choice.

"I… alright." She finally answered, expression still full of concern. To try and distract her, Harry quickly said- "Can you help me with the Transfiguration essay? The question about Conjuration is confusing me a bit…"

"Oh yes, it's worded in a very tricky way. But once you understand it, it's no problem at all…" After that, what passed was a very pleasant conversation, until-

"Hermione? Hermione, are you okay? You've been up there for a bit."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in panic as Hermione's mum climbed the stairs, and, presumably noticing that the bathroom was unoccupied, went to Harry's room, where she saw Hermione standing on his bed, holding _"An Intermediate's Guide to Transfiguration",_ and Harry on his broomstick, casual as can be.

"Ohh… you're… Harry, right?" Jean Granger said. She looked like an older version of Hermione, the same bushy hair slicked back into an elegant bun, a light blue dress on.

"Er, yeah." Harry said quietly.

"Sorry, I just… needed some help with some homework."

"Oh, it's no problem hun. My Hermione is always eager to learn and share her knowledge."

Harry and Hermione nodded.

"You should come downstairs, there's no need to be shy! Your Aunt is about to serve dessert."

"Er…" Before Harry could answer, Mrs. Granger had grabbed him by the arm, causing him to bite his lip as a sharp pain shot up his arm from where she had grabbed him, directly over where Aunt Petunia had grabbed him the night before.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Mrs. Granger released his arm, looking at him with the same concern Hermione had only a few minutes ago.

"Er, no, no… um, Hedwig, last night, she landed on my arm pretty hard. She was, er… very excited."

Again, like Hermione, Mrs. Granger looked dubious of his response, but let it slide.

"Well, alright darling…" She hummed, looking around his room, eyes widening as she spotted his Firebolt.

"Is- is that a _real_ broomstick?!"

"Yeah," Harry said, pulling it down to show her. "It's a Firebolt. Top of the line, fastest broomstick ever. The Bulgarian team used them in the World Cup last year."

"Oh, how exciting!" Mrs. Granger said, touching the broomstick gently. Harry released it and let it hover in midair, and Mrs. Granger "ooooh"'d at it.

"You should show my brother in law!" She said. "Aaron is _fascinated_ by this magic stuff."

"Erm, okay." Harry said, shouldering his broom. He had no idea how much trouble he would get into for going downstairs, but there really wasn't any way for him to refuse that wouldn't make him look like a prick.

When he got downstairs, broom in tow and all, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked _furious._ Aaron Granger, however, looked delighted.

"My stars!" He exclaimed when he saw the Firebolt. "Is that a _real_ broomstick?!"

Harry nodded, releasing it and letting it hover again. Aaron laughed in delight, clapping his hands. "Amazing! Can it be ridden?"

"Yeah, I use it all the time at H- at school." He cut himself off before he could say "Hogwarts". Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were mad enough, and Dudley looked faint as Aaron inquired about the broom. Harry answered somewhat awkwardly, but tried his best to balance the line between satisfactory answers for both Aaron and the Dursleys.

It wasn't easy.

"So, er, this is actually my second broomstick. It's a, er, gift from my godfather. My first one got… destroyed on school grounds, so I got this as a replacement from him for Christmas."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "Ah. And how did you get the first broomstick, if you don't mind me asking?"

Before Harry could answer, Hermione cut in, giving a watered down version of the story. The Durselys looked stormy and sick, but Hermione's mum and uncle looked enthusiastic as the story was told. When it ended, Mrs. Granger turned to Aunt Petunia and said "You must be very proud, to have raised such a moral and upright young man."

Harry could practically _hear_ Aunt Petunia's teeth grinding together as she answered. "Oh, yes, very… proud."

The company had to leave soon after, ending with Aaron Granger striking the biggest deal Uncle Vernon had ever made before his departure.

"I'll admit, getting to ride a real life broomstick, well…" He shook his head, giving Uncle Vernon a dazzling smile. "That _really_ did it for me."

Uncle Vernon could only nod at that. Once the Grangers had left, the Dursleys rounded on Harry, looking equal parts furious and begrudgingly trying not to be happy for his success in getting Uncle Vernon's deal.

"Boy…" Uncle Vernon began, pacing the room as Aunt Petunia cleaned up and Dudley sat as far as he could from Harry. "I don't know _what_ you were thinking, but… if you hadn't been- if you, if- just get out of my sight!"

Harry grabbed his broomstick and ran up the stairs, closing his door behind him. He couldn't _believe_ his luck.

He texted his friends for a bit before he fell asleep, once again lighter than previous days before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone guess what Sirius was asking Hermione for advice about? Also, expect future chapters to (hopefully) be shorter than this one, it got somewhat out of hand but I think its alright


	3. Break out (sorta)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo boy this was a hard one to crank out, but we finally got that plot ball rolling!

_July 11th, 2015_

Remus Lupin didn't consider himself someone who interfered with things that were supposed to be none of his business, but sometimes, allowances must be made for certain situations.

Like now, for instance.

After Hermione had, somewhat _casually_ even, dropped that Harry had a black eye when she saw him, well… it made one think.

About what had clearly been a hit to the face that caused a phone call to end early, and about the fact that those who knew Petunia Dursley knew how well and how _long_ she could hold a grudge for. And what she could and would do to those she hated. 

About the fact that when he had taught Harry, all the clothes he had, while nice enough, were definitely second hand and not meant for him. Or at how thin he was, or how _vehemently_ he hated his relatives.

No, Remus did not consider himself an interfering sort of man. But when he got the opportunity to take up guard duty for Harry, well, it was only right that he take it, right?

Right.

Now he sat on Arabella Figg's front porch, a Disillusion charm placed over him. To his left, Tonks sat cross-legged under Moody's invisibility cloak, humming a Weird Sisters song to herself. 

Remus looked over Number 4, the setting sun turning the dull beige color into a flaming ruby and gold mix. On the outside, it looked almost exactly like any other house on the street, the only true differences being the number, the car in the drive, and the plants in the garden and on the porch.

He wondered what was going on inside.

"Knut for your thoughts." Tonks cut in. How long had she been staring at him?

Remus hummed, fiddling with the cross that hung around his neck, a habit of his he had picked back up recently. "Just wondering about what's going on inside the house right now." He said mildly.

Tonks hummed, scooting closer, if the sounds were anything to go by. "Gotta say, if you _ever_ find me in a place like this, well... I give you full permission to shoot me where I stand. It's just so… _bland._ "

Remus nodded, then realized she couldn't see him. "Yes, it is… but if you knew Petunia, then you would know that this is exactly her type of style."

"Do you know her?" Tonks asked, fiddling with what sounded like a candy wrapper, and Remus briefly wondered how crazy she was to eat candy under _Mad-Eye Moody's_ cloak.

"A bit… I've meet her here and there. She's… very averse to anything that isn't, well, _normal._ "

"Like magic?" 

"Like magic, yes." Remus confirmed, looking up at Harry's bedroom window. The curtains were closed tight, but the window had been left open for Hedwig.

"Poor kid." Tonks said, handing Remus a piece of a Chocolate Frog. "Dunno what I would do if I had to live with someone who hated _magic._ I mean, how _can_ you hate magic? It's the best thing ever!"

"Mm, well, not if you don't have it, it's not. Or if it comes back to bite you… quite literally, sometimes." At this, he smiled bitterly to himself.

Tonks peeked out from under the cloak, but in such a way that it would be very hard to see her face, which was full of apology, from Number 4. "Sorry Lupin… I forgot."

"It's alright." He said, because honestly, it was. It was something that he had come to begrudgingly accept over time.

"Still…" Tonks said, then dropped the cloak again. Remus heard her sigh softly to herself.

Just then, Arabella came out and, under the guise of watering her umbrella trees, spoke to them.

"I hope you two are out of my way, so I don't trip on you… Miss Tonks, I am of course talking to you… and if one of you wants to go inside and then trade off with the other, I've made some nice tea."

"Lupin?" Tonks asked, but Remus waved her off. 

"I'm fine, I like watching the sun set anyhow."

"Alright, then. I'll come get you in a mo'." Tonks said, and slipped inside with no incident… until she tripped over a cat and brought a table full of potpourri down with her. Arabella hurried inside to clean up the mess and chastise Tonks for her clumsiness. Remus, who knew firsthand how much of a losing battle it was to tell Tonks to simply "be more careful" just listened in amusement.

Across the street, he could see movement behind the closed curtains in Harry's bedroom window, and the sound of Petunia talking, though to anyone else, it would've come across as unintelligible mumbling.

"Boy," She began, and already Remus could tell this wasn't going to end well. "Where is my purse?"

"In your bedroom, Aunt Petunia." And that was Harry, sounding resigned at his Aunt's tone.

"Hrrmph." Petunia responded, before slamming the door and marching off.

Not even a minute later, the same door slammed open, and even a person with normal hearing could've heard it from across the street.

"WHERE IS MY MONEY?!" Petunia demanded, and Remus could hear Harry sputtering out an answer as a pit of anxiety grew in his chest.

"I don't- I don't know, I didn't take any, I swear! Maybe you left it on the counter or something?"

A smack, frighteningly similar to the one Remus had heard two nights ago, rang out, along with what could only be a muffled hiss of pain.

"Why on _earth_ would it be on the counter, boy?!"

"Because- because you had to pay that- that bill, remember? And you took your wallet out?"

A pause, before a quiet "... fine. I'm leaving for the store, stay in your room." 

The door shut, then locked with a small _click._ Remus heard Petunia walk away, and a few moments later, start up the car in the garage and drive off.

Stunned, Remus could only sit there in silence before he made a decision and stood, crossing the street quickly. Once he was in the front yard, he walked up to the door and tried the handle.

It was unlocked. Thank Merlin himself for small mercies. 

Silent as a mouse, Remus crept inside and up the stairs, following the placement of the rooms via observation of the windows and the layout of Arabella's house.

The door he was almost certain was Harry's had a deadbolt lock on top, two more underneath, and most concerningly of all, a cat flap, small in size, at the bottom of the door. 

Remus knew, from an incident in his fifth year when he spent a week with Lily, that Petunia was _deathly_ allergic to cats, and he highly doubted that anything had changed. Plus, Harry had an owl, not a cat, for a pet.

Raising his hand slightly, a hundred uses for the cat flap and locks running through his head, none of them _any_ good, he plucked a modified rakepick from the pocket of his pants and started to fiddle with the lock on the handle, which he was sure was the only one locked. As he worked, he noticed two things; one, that he could hear the faint scritching sound of a quill parchment and two, his Disillusion charm was beginning to fade, which was actually what he wanted to happen right about now.

With a final _click_ the door swung open, and Harry spun around in his seat, face shifting from disinterest to surprise so quickly it would've been comical, if not for the black eye that was clearly visible on his face.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry cried, a smile starting to spread across his face as he got up and hugged his former professor, and Remus only hesitated for a fraction of a second before he hugged him back, somewhat awkwardly yet warmly.

"How'd you get here? _Why_ are you here? I mean, no that I'm complaining or anything, just… wondering, I suppose."

"That's for later." He said through the messy hair, stepping back and examining him at arm's length. The black stood out most of all, healing yellow and green. A few bruises littered his arms and shins, and his face was thinner than Remus had previously remembered. Mind firmly made up, he looked around Harry's small bedroom and nodded at a faded knapsack in the corner. 

"Pack some of your things for a night or two. You're going to come with me and Tonks back to… well,back to base, so to say." He gave Harry a small wink, and Harry's face lit up even further as he started hastily shoving clothes and a few schoolbooks into the knapsack.

 _Albus is going to_ kill _me._ Remus thought, and then found he didn't really care. Not if it meant that Harry was safe, which was the whole damn reason why there was a guard for him anyway.

Time to put it to some use.

When Harry had filled a bag up, and coaxed a trilling Hedwig into her cage, Remus spoke carefully, to lay out the plan.

"You are going to go over to Arabella Figg's house, and ask- this is important, the wording, mind you- to borrow her copy of The Time Machine until Tuesday. I will reapply my Disillusion charm and take your bag with me, because it is important here that it does not appear to anyone watching that you are leaving Privet Drive. Do you understand?"

"Why? Does this have to do with why you're here?" Harry asked, handing his bag over to Remus.

"Because of Voldemort's return and yes, to answer your questions. I will leave a note for your aunt and uncle before I leave, so they know that you are safe." _Because you won't be near them_ Remus wanted to but didn't say.

Harry nodded solemnly, pulling his trainers on and slowly walking out of the room. Remus gave him a reassuring smile as he recast the charm on himself and Harry's bag, looking out the curtains just in time to see Harry ask Arabella about the book. To her credit, Arabella only hesitated for a moment before ushering Harry into her house. After a few moments, Remus wrote a quick note, only the bare details on it, leaving it on Harry's desk as he too, left the room and went inside Arabella's house.

The constant smell of cats permitted the air, making Remus feel slightly on edge and queasy, but otherwise, he ignored it as he was fixed with a stern look from both Arabella and Tonks as he lowered his Disillusion.

"Later." He mouthed to them, then looked at Harry, who had an unfortunate amount of cats clawing and vying for his attention. With a small chuckle of amusement, Remus pulled a few climbing cats off of him, and sat him down at the table.

"Harry," He began, pulling out a small pawn chess piece from his pocket. "Have you ever used a Portkey before?" When he nodded, Remus pressed it into his hand. "Hold tight, then, in a few moments. A few other people should be here by then, and we'll all go together."

"To the base?" Remus almost smiled at how seriously Harry had said "base". Trying to sounder older, more mature. He nodded in answer.

"Yes, to the base- ah, hello. There's been a change of plans." Remus said to Kingsley Shaklebolt and Hestia Jones as they Apparited inside. They looked inquisitive at that, until they caught sight of Harry, and the bruises and baggy clothes on him. Hestia gasped softly, nodding in understanding along with Kingsley. Harry, who looked slightly confused and also… angry? merely ignored them and continued to clutch the pawn in his hand.

"Ready to leave, Harry?" Remus asked, handing over his knapsack.

"Er, yeah." 

"Excellent." Remus responded, hand curling over Harry's as Kingsley, Hestia, and Tonks Apparited away, with varying degrees of confusion and questioning on their faces still. With a polite farewell to Arabella, the Portkey glowed blue, and whisked them away with a familiar jolt.

\--------------

Number 12, Grimmald Place was tall, foreboding, and grimy. The inside was even worse, with screaming pixies and portraits, molding carpets and wallpaper, clothes that tried to kill you and a half insane house-elf.

It was also the fulltime headquarters and base for the Order of the Phoenix.

Remus guided Harry inside, careful to steer him away from the troll's foot umbrella stand, and then winced as Tonks proceeded to trip over it and set off the portrait of Walburga Black.

 _"FILTH! SCUM! MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS AND HALF BREEDS HAVE INVADED AND INFECTED MY NOBLE HOUSE! THE SHAME! THE_ SHAME! _BEGONE, ALL OF YOU, THIEVES-"_

"SHUT _UP_ , YOU MISERABLE FUCKING BITCH!" Sirius yelled from the kitchen, rushing out with a _bang!_ from the door to help Remus tug the curtains shut. 

"Thanks, Moony... fucking _hate_ that awfu- Merlin's _beard,_ Harry! You're here! .. shit, what happened to your face?" Sirius cupped Harry's face in his hands, turning it to the side to examine it for a moment before lifting his wand to heal it. Remus stopped him before he could however, with no small amount of guilt.

"We must let Albus see it first, so he understands why Harry is here now." 

At that, Harry paled and flushed at the same time. "It- it's just a bruise, prof, it's not a big deal."

"Harry…" Remus began carefully. "I know your aunt gave that to you. I heard the way she yelled at you before I went inside to see you."

"What's this?" Albus inquired from behind Remus, as Harry paled even further. He was hoping to convey and convince Harry that he would be safe here for at least a little longer, but the Headmaster had an uncanny ability to show up at the right- or wrong- moment.

With a small sigh, Remus lead Albus, Harry and Sirius into the dusty parlour for some privacy, and explained what he knew and saw. When he was finished, both Albus and Sirius looked to Harry for confirmation, and after a tense moment, he nodded slowly.

"Harry," Albus said, regret clear in his voice and eyes. "I am so sorry. I failed to consider that your aunt would put aside her grudges and hatred of your mother for you… and I have failed you. But-"

"But _nothing."_ Sirius cut in, a firm hand on Harry's shoulder, a half step in front of him, as if shielding him from the Headmaster. "We've heard enough. He's staying here."

Albus sighed. "But the wards-"

"-Mean _nothing_ if that house isn't safe for him! And it's not! And besides, if we can host illegal meetings plotting to take down Voldemort in here, we can damn well keep my godson in here." Sirius glared at Albus, and Remus could practically _see_ his hackles raised in anger.

"Albus," He had to try and defuse the situation, before it got out of hand. "Harry has already been in the house for the required fourteen days to reset and cement the blood wards for the next year. And at this point… it's probably for the best that Harry stays here."

"We weren't going to move him here until closer to his birthday." Albus rebuked, stroking his beard in thought.

"Yes, but…" Remus felt like a teenager again, trying to explain something to a particularly indifferent teacher. "You put us on guard duty for a reason. To protect Harry. What good is it if we don't protect him from _everyone_ that tries to hurt him, including those who were supposed to care for him?"

The room was quiet at that, before Albus sighed again, looking older than usual.

"That is… a good point. Very well, Remus, Sirius… I advise you to prepare a room for our young guest, and I'll go sort out the situation with Petunia."

Sirius grinned widely, hugging Harry and slinging an arm around his shoulders as he lead them out of the parlour. Remus felt the knot of anxiety that had been in his chest all evening start to loosen as he followed, looking back at the Headmaster before the door shut. Albus looked deeply sorrowed and contemplative, a look he had been wearing with rising frequency since the night Voldemort returned.

Albus did not cross his mind again, until he was in bed, too busy helping clean a room for Harry, and then dealing with the Weasleys, dinner, and a round of games to celebrate Harry's stay at the house.

Now, with Sirius slipping into his arms (a habit of his since they had gotten here, as he claimed that Remus was the only thing that helped with the nightmares) Remus reflected once more on Albus's face. Was it his imagination, or had he looked angry and resentful? And what for?

These questions and more plagued Remus's mind as he slipped into an uneasy slumber, dreams filled with woman yelling abuse at two young, black haired boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wolfstar served slow burn style, anyone?  
> Also I loved doing Remus's POV for this, it was very fitting. He's smart, witty, and although distant at times, he really does care and make an effort!


	4. Shopping and Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I got writer's block and sick at the same time.
> 
> Next chapter is going to be Sirius's POV, and as I have most of it planned, it should be out very soon. Enjoy!

_July 12th, 2015_

_Black paths. Black spider. Black figure, wand pointed, then-_

_Cracking stone and flames. A setting sun as red as the eyes that stared back at him, full of amusement and malice. Red spells, red potion, red blood, red red_ **_red._ **

_Then came the silver. Silver blade, hand, ghosts, cup. A silver tongue, all hope lost, no silver lining in sight._

_Gold._

_Gold flames, gold cage. Golden light, in front and behind and all around him._

_Squeezing. Landing. Music, shouts of victory._

_Screams of fear._

_Red sun._

_Nowhere to run._

_His fault. His fault. All his fault._

When Harry first awoke, he was caught off guard, thrown off by the nightmare and strangeness and unfamiliarity of the room, which was darker than his usually was, with the scent of mold and dust thick in the air, instead of Aunt Petunia's stifling choice of cleaner fluids and sprays. Only a few moments later, Harry remembered that he was at Grimmauld Place, and a grin crossed his face as he quickly got dressed and walked out, and then realized that he had no idea where any of the rooms were, or even where he was in the house. He turned back to ask Ron, but he was snoring into his pillow and essentially dead to the world.

He was saved by Fred and George, who popped in front of him wearing identical grins.

"Nice to see you up and about, Harry." Fred said in a hushed voice, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulder and dragging him (hopefully) to wherever breakfast was. The stairs were narrow, but the twins still managed to squeeze themselves on either side of Harry as they walked like some bizzare participants in a six-legged race.

"Yeah," George said, also slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Instead of lounging about late into the day like our useless-"

"Annoying-"

"Inconsiderate-"

"Younger brother." Fred and George finished, opening a door. A long table stretched out in front of them, the same dark wood that all the furniture in the house seemed to be made out of. A fire cracked merrily in one of the largest fireplaces Harry had ever seen, and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin and Bill were already up, drinking coffee or, in the case of Mrs. Weasley, cooking breakfast.

"Oh, thank you boys for bringing him down, and good morning, Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley said, strolling forward and cupping his face in her warm hands, wiping away an invisible smudge of dirt. "You look a bit, hmmm, peaky? Why don't you sit and wait, I'll have breakfast up for you boys in no time."

"Sounds good." Harry said, because it really did after that dream. He took a seat next to Lupin, who was reading the Daily Prophet.

"Any news?" Harry asked, looking at the headline, seeing the Minister's face plastered across the front instead of Voldemort's and immediately losing interest.

"Only if you read in between the lines." Lupin replied, noticing Harry's disinterest.

"Like what?" Fred sat next to Bill, stealing his coffee as George rocked the bench in distraction.

"Like how the Ministry is cracking down on Hogwarts and the information that they're allowed to teach kids." Lupin said, and Harry's and the twins heads shot up to look at him, and even Mrs. Weasley paused in cooking sausages for a moment.

"What- the Ministry's doing _what_ now?" George cried, tugging the paper out of Lupin's grip, Fred and Bill reading over his shoulder, and switching off between the paper and coffee as Lupin spoke.

"There was a raid on "inappropriate reading material" in the library and a call for a conference concerning what the staff taught students."

"Bullshit." Fred and George chorused at the same time, earning identical swats from a spatula welded by Mrs. Weasley. Bill scooted away from the twins, probably fearing injury by association and proximity.

"Wha-at was the material that was considered "inappropriate''?" Ginny yawned, trudging into the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cape.

"Mostly things that might _dare_ suggest that anyone who isn't "human" might still have human feelings, needs, and wants. Like acceptance, morals, and treatments for their ailments and urges." Lupin replied dryly, and Harry noticed for the first time how shabby and faded his clothing was, even more so than when he had taught at Hogwarts. 

"Bullshit." Ginny said hotly, sitting down with the air of royalty and earning a swat and scolding herself from Mrs. Weasley. " _Mu-um,_ it is! Total thestral crap!"

"You watch your mouth, young lady, or I'll wash it out with soap! I don't allow your brothers to use that sort of language and I won't allow _you_ either!"

Harry didn't know how Ginny could stare Mrs. Weasley down, but she did. Honestly, if Charlie wanted to study dragons, he should start with his sister. Or maybe his mother.

When Mrs. Weasley turned her attention back to the eggs, Ginny showed a _very_ rude gesture to her backside, making Bill, Fred, and George panic and grab her hands to hide it before their mother could see.

Harry and Lupin looked at each other, and hid their smiles behind hands and pleasantries as breakfast was served. The conversation started up again, this time with Mrs. Weasley informing them that the kitchen, stairways and front hall would be receiving a _thorough_ cleaning later, much to the chagrin of her children. Harry, who actually didn't mind cleaning so long as nothing was thrown at him or no one yelled at him, was fairly okay with it.

"If I join, it's only to blast that damn portrait off the wall, God rest her bitchy soul." Sirius said as he walked in, wearing no shirt and dark pants, tattoos on clear display. For reasons unknown to Harry, this made Lupin _very_ red, and he stared for approximately ten seconds before hiding his face behind his coffee cup.

"Sirius Orion Black the Third, I have just lectured _three_ of my children already about inappropriate language this morning and you are nothing helping when you go around swearing like a fiend."

"Fuck me, it's too early to swear off swearing." Sirius said, swifting joining the "hit by a spatula" club as Mrs. Weasley subjected him to the same lecture she gave to her kids, ending with telling him to put a shirt on, because it "wasn't appropriate to be half dressed around children", much to the amusement of Ginny and still confusing redness of Lupin. Fred and George, never one to turn down a challenge, immediately went to take their own shirts off in solidarity but were swiftly stopped by the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.

Sirius, scowling the whole time, plucked Lupin's cardigan off the back of his chair and pulled it on, spinning around to ask- "is _this_ better? To hide a body handcrafted by _God_ himself?"

Ginny started outright laughing at that, Harry, the twins, and Bill quickly joining in. Mrs. Weasley was less amused, and Lupin only managed to mutter a quiet- "Stop stealing my clothes, Sirius."

Strange.

The end of breakfast saw them all getting dressed and then facing the kitchen with buckets of sudsy water and stiff bristled brushes, scrubbing over a decade's worth of dirt and mold out of the floor and furniture. Harry sat next to Ron, who was attacking a China cabinet with a viciousness that suggested it had insulted him personally, and asked him about the book raid and if Hermione knew yet.

"Shit… mate, that's something we'll have to break to her in person, but Merlin only _knows_ what she would do to us when she finds out though."

"How much d'you want to bet she'll start up a book version of S.P.E.W?" Harry asked, handing Ron his brush as the handle broke off of his.

"Don't make a bet you know you'll win, that's not fair." Ron said, accepting the brush and returning to scrubbing the cabinet.

"Not that hard Ron, you'll strip the wood of its varnish!" Mrs. Weasley yelled from behind them. Sirius, who was throwing away all the silverware (made of actual silver, no less) said "Molly, I don't give a damn what your kids do to this house, so long as it's clean. Ginny wants the kitchen bright pink? It's done. Charlie wants dragons on the mantle? Go ahead, have fun. I'm not fussed, really."

Ginny, who was under the table, suddenly piped up. "Actually, I was talking with Luna the other day, and she said that the kitchen should be bright yellow with gold speckles."

"Is Luna a Hufflepuff?" Sirius asked, now tossing some goblets with a crest into the same bag as the silverware.

"Nah, she's a Ravenclaw, she just likes yellow. Says that it's a happy color."

"Yellow it is then. I'll have Remus run out for some brushes and paint later." 

"Can I come?" Harry asked, almost knocking over Ron's bucket in an attempt to get a particularly stubborn bit of mold off the floor.

"I don't see why not." Remus replied, cleaning the fireplace out using magic. "Anyone else want to come?"

"I do!" Ginny cried, popping her head out from under the table, covered in a nearly ungodly amount of dirt for someone who had only been cleaning for all of ten minutes.

"Not looking like a little chimney sweeper, you won't." Mrs. Weasley said, attempting to grab Ginny's face to wipe it clean. Ginny, who had years of experience in dodging this sort of thing, just ducked back under the table out of reach. Mrs. Weasley sighed, shaking her head as she bustled about, wiping off the counters instead.

"Well, at least the floor is clean." She muttered to herself as she cleaned, aiming her wand absently at a wireless in a corner.

"-new Bertie Botts Every Flavored Bean flavor expected to drop this week, people are hinting at it being owl pellet flavored, but what do you think Dave-"

Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand again, and the station changed. 

"-Cannons still at the bottom of the League, no surprise there, but the Tutshill Tornados are quickly rising through the ranks this season, and may make a bid for the-"

Another flick, much to the outcry of most of the occupants in the kitchen.

"Mum! I liked that channel!" Ron said, angrily sloshing water and suds on the floor as he dunked his brush in the bucket.

"It's only Quidditch dear, and nothing you can't find out from the paper." Mrs. Weasley replied, much to the protests of her children as a Celestia Warback song played loudly. Harry, who only knew the song from the girls who had taken to singing it around Hogwarts during Valentine's day, simply tuned it out to discuss Quidditch stats with Ron. Sirius came over to add in his opinions, which were surprisingly up to date for someone who had been on the run for the better part of two years.

After about an hour and a half, the kitchen was surprisingly clean, but most everyone was covered in dirt and grime. Ron, the twins, Bill and Mrs. Weasley stayed in the kitchen to finish up, Sirius, now joined by Shacklebolt, was still tossing away old and unwanted artifacts while Lupin sent Ginny and Harry upstairs to clean up before they left.

The trip to the store was nice, as Shacklebolt had let them borrow his car, which was very expensive looking and probably would've impressed even Uncle Vernon. Ginny called shotgun, and played with the radio the entire way.

"Where's the WWN?" She asked, still turning the knob. "I wanna hear the Sports channel. There's supposed to be an interview with Gwenog Jones after the announcement on Quadpot championship scores from America."

"I'm afraid the only sports channels on here are for football and baseball and whatnot." Lupin replied patiently, as a Taylor Swift song blared through the speakers. "Seeing as this is a muggle car."

"Yeah, but it's _owned_ by a wizard." Ginny said, and Harry couldn't really argue with that. Lupin sighed, but let Ginny continue to fiddle with the radio. "Just be careful to not break anything, please."

"I'm careful, I'm real careful, promise." Ginny replied, and promptly pulled the knob off the radio.

"Shit! Fuck, fuck, _fuck._ Mum's gonna _kill_ me. She is going to flay my arse _raw_ and _kill_ me." Lupin stopped at a red light, looked at the knob, and stuck it back on, tapping it once with his wand and putting a finger to his lips.

"It never happened." He said simply, and started driving again as the light changed. Harry laughed in surprise, then remembered the first spell Lupin had technically ever taught him was one that shot gum up someone's nose.

After that, the trip was uneventful, and Lupin pulled into the hardware store, pushing a flatbed cart that Ginny stood on as if commanding a ship.

"This is great. I wanna ride these through Hogwarts." 

Lupin hummed. "You sound like Sirius. Took him to a store like this once, and he convinced James to help him smuggle a cart just like this to school. Minerva caught them when they went down a sloped hall, screaming like banshees and dressed in nothing but boxers and cloaks. In January."

Harry and Ginny laughed. "What'd Mcgonagall do to them?" Harry asked, wanting to hear more.

"Well, after they stopped by crashing into a wall, she gave them three weeks detention and took forty points each for theft, being out after curfew, and, if I recall correctly, for being "sheer terrors onto the entirety of the school"."

"Sounds about right." Ginny said, looking like she wanted to recreate the story as Lupin pushed the cart into the paint aisle. Lupin, catching the look on her face, simply said "You never heard anything about this from me though, for I am a responsible adult who must advise you that Minerva is a force to be reckoned with after dark. And during the day. And in general."

Ginny nodded, and Harry had the feeling that, not for the first time, his upcoming school year was going to be… interesting, to say the least.

Getting the paint turned out to be a lot more interesting than Harry first thought. Ginny was very particular about the shade of yellow that would go in the kitchen, insisting that if it wouldn't make Snape mad, it wasn't bright enough, which was a fair enough scale. Lupin sent Harry down the aisle to get paint brushes, rollers, plastic tarps, tape and pans as Ginny debated over two nearly identical shades of eye watering yellow.

"Should we add glitter to it so that it has the speckles, or, and this was Hermione's suggestion, get sponges and dab on the gold paint in places?"

"Why not both?" Harry said, placing the supplies on the cart, and Ginny just shrugged and said "Okay. I'll need to borrow glitter from the twins though."

"Ah, let me guess- they've made glitter bombs." Lupin said, Ginny nodding in conformation. 

"Yup. Drove mum mad, she told them that they look like they crashed at a strip club." 

Harry didn't know why, but when he heard that he decided to jump up on the cart opposite of Ginny and pretend to grind on the pole in an attempt to make her laugh. Lupin looked _scandalized,_ muttering to himself. "He's getting more and more like James every time."

A couple walking nearby threw dirty looks at their group, and Harry, annoyed at their looks and blatant staring at Lupin's scars, emphasized his "pole dancing" as they passed, until Lupin tugged him off the cart and made him push it in punishment. Ginny, who at this point had a face that matched her hair, took a minute to compose herself before she was able to say which yellow she had chosen, and their time spent in the store was rather quick after that. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that Lupin was attempting to keep further mayhem at bay.

\--------------

When they got back, lunch was already made, and Lupin was kind enough not to mention anything that had gone down at the store… until Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot, and then he quietly informed Sirius of their shopping adventure. Ron looked at Harry in confusion, the twins and Bill started singing an _extremely_ raunchy song, and Sirius was laughing as hard as Ginny had.

"Mate, _why."_ Was the only thing Ron could say for a good while, and even the twins and Bill questioned him until he answered. "Because they were staring at Lupin's scars, which was quite rude, so I decided to _give_ them a reason to stare."

Lupin looked slightly bashful, but still exasperated nonetheless. "You're not even _fifteen_ yet. You can't just- just- dirty dance in public!" Which set off another round of laughter.

_Pop!_

Kingsley Apperated into the room, holding a slip of parchment in one hand.

"Albus is calling for an emergency meeting tonight." He said in his show, deep voice. The room immediately quieted.

"What for?" Sirius asked, taking the offered parchment and reading it. Kingsley was about to speak, but then saw the rest of the occupants and shook his head, whipping a Self-Inking Quill out and quickly jolting something down and handing it to Lupin.

"Because of that." Kingsley replied, and left just as quickly as he came.

Mrs. Weasley walked into the room carrying sandwiches, which distracted Harry from questioning Sirius, though he knew that the older man would provide answers for him. As they ate, Lupin and Bill spoke in low tones to Mrs. Weasley, who looked grim. 

Suddenly, Ginny stood up and announced that she was going to begin painting the kitchen. When questioned, her only reply was "If Snape's coming over, he'll have to sit in a bright yellow room for a _while."_ Sirius's face lit up, and he enthusiastically began helping.

Mrs. Weasley gasped in delight when she saw the yellow. "Oh, how cheerful! It'll make the kitchen look like a lemon party!" 

Harry _swore_ he heard a record stop as Sirius _cackled,_ and a red faced Bill and Lupin tried to explain without really explaining why Mrs. Weasley couldn't use that phrase. Ginny, who looked confused, pulled out her phone and quickly typed something out, Ron peering over her shoulder, and then the two looked at each other in horrified amusement. Harry, who only knew what a lemon party _actually_ meant from one of Seamus's weird rants, just stood and awkwardly left to begin painting.

It was a very weird day, and it wasn't even two in the afternoon yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Harry didn't come off as OOC in this chapter, or at least not too much. The pole dancing idea was too good to pass up!
> 
> The car Kingsley owns is a black Cadillac Escalade, because that what all cool cops and cop like dudes in movies own. I don't make the rules


	5. Anger and Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this chapter might be most appropriate for today, so I do apologize for the wait, but I hope it was worth it! Next chapter- Snape and someone else's POV. Any guesses?

_July 12th, 2015_

Sirius drummed his fingers on the now spotless table as people trickled and Apperated into the room. Remus sat on his left, going over a report Moody had handed him when the older man had first walked in. Sirius, as usual, got nothing more than a greeting.

It pissed him off, that the most useful thing he could do was sit tight in a house full of nightmares and batshit crazy portraits. He wanted to be out in the field, working, spying, doing _anything_ other than just being a temporary house-elf.

"Wotcher." Tonks said as she walked in, and then gasped in delight at the bright yellow walls. True to her word, Ginny had painted the entire kitchen before the meeting began with the help of her brothers and Harry, and Sirius had to admit it actually looked pretty good.

The twitch in Snape's eye as he was forced into a room with glitter on the walls was just the icing on the cake.

Even Dumbledore had praised the color choice, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, the older man's praise actually did feel good.

Man, he _really_ needed to get back into the field if he was happy about _that._

A sudden clapping ripped him from his thoughts, and Surius looked up to see Dumbledore attempting to get the attention of the room, which didn't take long. Everyone took a seat, and once the room was silent, Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming," He said, as usual. "Today's meeting will be, ah, dealing in affairs a trifle more troublesome than usual, so I beg of you to please pay the utmost attention for the next while as I explain. Thank you." 

Like he even had to ask. Anything _Dumbledore_ could consider "troublesome" was sure to be shit in a handbasket.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand, tracing the air until a golden locket with an emerald 'S' on the front appeared in front of them.

"First, we must address this," Dumbledore said, thought what "that" was, Sirius didn't know. Probably something cursed and wanted by Voldemort, if he had to guess.

"Certain sources tell me that this locket is key in helping to bring down Voldemort. Why-" Dumbledore held up a hand at the questioning looks. "-I cannot explain, for knowing that information alone would put your very life in jeopardy. All I ask is that you _please_ keep an eye out for it, and, should you find it, bring it to me as _soon_ as possible. Do not wear it, do not handle it for any longer than you must, and do _not_ stay around it for any longer than necessary."

Sirius exchanged a look with Remus. Apparently Voldemort's defeat hinged on a piece of jewelry. Great.

Dumbledore fixed them all with a firm look, then nodded, and moved onto another topic.

"Another matter that must be addressed is that it has been brought to my attention that Harry Potter was no longer safe with his relatives, and was removed from their care yesterday. I know that plans were made to move him here later this month, but I assure you that it was not done without good reason."

Amelia Bones raised her hand. "So, guard duty for Potter is no longer needed?"

"Correct." Dumbledore said. "However, guard duty for the Department of Mysteries will still continue as usual."

"And can you tell us _why_ Potter was so hastily removed from the Dursleys care?" Snape drawled, and it took everything Sirius had not to smack him across the face.

Dumbledore gave Snape a pointed look. "As I said," He said slowly. "It was deemed that Harry was no longer safe with his relatives. He is now residing here for the remainder of the summer."

 _He should've been here the whole time._ Sirius thought angrily. Remus, very discreetly, held Sirius's hand under the table and ran his thumb over this knuckles. The gesture was more soothing than Sirius expected, and he squeezed Remus's hand gently in thanks.

Snape scoffed. "And who decided that Potter was unsafe at Number 4? Last I checked, you said it was the safest place for him to be, and now you tell us the opposite."

"Severus, _enough._ " Minerva snapped, glaring at Snape, who was smart enough to shut up.

"Now then…" Dumbledore said, waving his wand in the air to pass a report to everyone in the room. "Alastor, you said you had an important finding for us?"

As the meeting continued, Sirius glancing at his report every now and then, he couldn't help but feel, well… _bored_ with the proceedings. Never mind that Lucius Malfoy was in hot water with MACUSA for smuggling something or other across international waters, or that Tonks had a narrow escape from an upcoming Death Eater wannabe yesterday. When the meeting ended, Sirius couldn't help but feel relieved. Now he could go upstairs and check on Buckbeak and Harry, maybe encourage Molly's kids in instigating some more mischief. Anything to distract him from all of this.

Right as he went to leave, Remus in front of him, Dumbledore waved Remus over. Sirius attempted to follow, but Dumbledore shook his head, and led him to a secluded corner of the kitchen. Sirius walked out of the room and crossed his arms, resisting the urge to sigh as he made small talk with Alastor.

\--------------

When most of the guests finally left and Remus came out behind Dumbledore, Sirius grabbed his arm and gently but firmly led him upstairs and into his room, closing the door. Remus looked pale, and he was fiddling with his sleeve absently.

"Remus," Sirius said, drawing the other man's attention to him. "What did Dumbledore say to you?"

"He, uh…" Remus hesitated, looking down at the floor. "He… asked if I would be willing to, er… try and get- get close to Greyback's pack for information on Voldemort."

Sirius was speechless in anger. Dumbledore _had_ to know that Greyback would kill Remus if he had the chance, and here the man was asking him to _willingly_ go to his pack? It was _abhorrent._

"Remus," he said. Was all he could say as he cupped his face. "Say no. _Please._ You know, you _know_ they'll do to you what they want, that they'll hurt or even _kill_ you if the chance arises."

Remus didn't- wouldn't- look Sirius in the eyes as he spoke. "It's important, Sirius. It's- what if I can help save someone's _life_ with what I collect? Or multiple lives?"

"What if you _die?"_ Sirius shot back, shaking with anger. Couldn't Remus _see_ how much of a deathtrap this was? "What if you _die_ Remus, and then I'm alone?" 

"You left _me_ alone for _twelve years,_ I think you'll manage." Remus spat, and then immediately looked guilty as Sirius stepped back in shock. "No, no- wait, I'm sorry, _please…_ my love. I'm sorry."

Sirius couldn't stop the cold dread that coiled in his chest, but he managed a hollow "It's fine." as he sat down heavily on the floor. The room swam slightly, and he realized through slightly panicky breaths he was crying. Which was stupid, of course.

Remus was in front of him- when had he moved?- and held Sirius's cold hand in his warm ones.

"Breathe, love. Shhhhh.. it's okay. I'm sorry- I didn't mean it like that, truly... Just breathe for me, okay? Breathe."

"Sorry." Sirius choked out, but he couldn't figure out what he was apologizing for. "S-sorry."

Remus shook his head, and hesitantly pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. "Shhhhh… you've nothing to apologize for… it's okay, love, just breathe for me..." 

Sirius sucked in a small breath, wincing at the pain and tightness in his chest. As Remus continued to encourage him and apologize, Sirius took another breath, then shut him up by gently pressing his lips to Remus's, who was effectively shocked into silence.

"You-" Sirius began, taking another breath, deeper than the last one, to clear his head of the static. "Have _nothing_ to apologize for either… I'm sorry I left you… I- I'm sorry, should've trusted you more. I'm- I'm sorry. _So_ sorry, my Remus."

It was a conversation that they'd had a hundred times before, pointing out things that only time and regret revealed, but somehow, it felt different this time. Maybe it was the kiss, or the fact that it was one of the few fights they'd had were Remus had gotten really angry, but Sirius felt a shift between them. 

"Remus?" He said, very quietly. "Remus, please say something…" He looked down at their joined hands, squeezing ever so slightly.

Remus was quiet for a moment longer, before squeezing back and kissing his forehead again.

"I-" He said slowly. "You… haven't called me that in a while."

Sirius was confused for a moment, then spoke again. "Was it… bad? To- to say that you're _my_ Remus?" He held his breath, aware that it brought the tightness back in his chest, and waited for the answer.

"... No." Remus finally said, and Sirius could've kissed him again. "No, I- just… not in front of everyone else?"

"Of course," Sirius brought Remus's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "Of course, my Remus… anything for you. Just- ... stay with me?" He meant the words in more than one way, and he knew Remus knew that too.

Remus smiled shyly as he nodded, ducking his head and it took Sirius's breath away in the best way possible.

\--------------

During dinner, whenever Sirius would nudge Remus's foot with his own, he would be rewarded with a twinkling eye and a small smile every time. Sirius realized later, wrapped in Remus's arms in his- _their-_ bed, that with Harry here, and Remus promising to stay, well… suddenly having to stay in a deathtrap didn't seem so bad.

"I love you." Sirius whispered to Remus as he drifted off to sleep. It may have been imagined, but he would swear up and down that Remus held him just a little closer and tighter at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! Remus and Sirius are (kinda) together now!  
> Also, Dumbledore is asking about the locket and Lucius is in trouble. Those aren't important details that will show up later in significance ways, nope ;)
> 
> Please comment and give kudos! :) and happy Valentine's day!


	6. Meetings and Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant for this to only be two different POVs, but it ended up with three. Oh well.
> 
> This is where things really start going off the rails for our heroes. There's a time skip at the end of the chapter, but the next one (Cedric's POV) and the one will still take place in July, before we move onto August.

_July 13th, 2015_

Snape scowled as he Apparited onto the pristine lawn of the Malfoy Manor. He was dangerously close to being late, and the Dark Lord did _not_ excuse tardiness lightly.

Sweeping through the halls quickly- but not _too_ quickly, he was still within the timeframe, close as he was to cutting it, and to make a fool of himself among his peers and master simply would _not_ do.

With the quietest of groans from the mahogany doors, Severus walked in and took the seat on the Dark Lord's right hand side, in lieu of Lucius, who was currently staying in America until the blasted idiot could pay off enough officials to be allowed back into the country. And for smuggling _Chimera eggs_. Honestly. 

"Severus." Voldemort drawled, and he started coolly at the other man, Occulmency shields firmly in place. "You are very nearly late."

Severus, who was an adult in a room with a dangerous group of individuals and therefore did _not_ slam his head on the table in frustration, answered by kneeling at Voldemort's feet, palms up and head bowed.

"My lord, Dumbledore had called an _emergency_ meeting for the Order. I have come straight from there."

"Ah," Voldemort said softly, in a tone that hinted towards pain, if Severus could not deliver a more satisfactory explanation for himself. "That "Order" and the man who leads it will bring nothing but chaos upon us."

"I agree, my lord." Severus said. "However, Dumbledore had to inform us to discontinue the guard rotation for Potter, as he has now been moved to a safe place under the Fidelius."

It was a risk, to inform Voldemort of that. But it would also gain him more favor, in the long run, to procure and deliver such important information.

"Hassss he now? The old _fool_ finally grew a brain?" Voldemort hissed, gently lifting Severus's chin with the tip of a long finger, approval and anger in his red eyes. Severus stared back in answer, aware of the nail sharp as a needle poking the soft underside of his jaw. 

Voldemort swept his hand lazily, silently ordering Severus back into his seat, who sat back down with all the careless grace he could muster. He pointedly did _not_ look at Pettigrew across from him, sniveling, pathetic coward that he was. The _only_ useful thing he had ever done in his life was die, and even _that_ was a lie.

"Now then…" Voldemort said, petting Nagini. "Narcisssssssa… about your husssband…"

Narcissa drew herself up. "Lucius is currently engaged with the President in politics, as usual. He estimates his return will be within two week's time."

"He has one, or there will be… _consequences."_ Voldemort said simply. Narcissa paled very slightly at the tone, but nodded.

Voldemort gave her the ghost of a smile as he turned to the Carrows. "Amycus, I hear we have good news?"

"Yes." Amycus's smile was arguably _worse_ than Voldemort's, if only because of the horrid state of his teeth. "The Auror office has a spy on the inside now."

"Oh?" Voldemort said gleefully. "Do tell."

"Philip Ecker, junior Auror under the training of Hestia Jones, that half-blood bitch." 

"Hmmmm." Voldemort said, nodding his head once. "Is he any good?"

"We have up-to-date information on many criminals and their profiles, statuses, files, everything."

" _Everything,_ everything?" Voldemort questioned. Amycus nodded, sliding several scrolls of parchment over. With a flick of his bone-white wand, the scrolls unraveled in front of Voldemort, who glanced over the contents before nodding again, a thin smile visible on his face.

"Well _done,_ Amycussss… well done indeed."

Amycus bowed his head. "My thanks, my Lord, that I have been able to provide you with sufficient information for your great plans."

Alecto piped up next to him. "The department of International Magical Cooperation _also_ has a wolf among the sheep, so to say."

Voldemort looked annoyed at Alecto's unprompted message, but allowed her to continue. For now.

Alecto gave Voldemort what Severus _assumed_ was her 'winning smile', but only served to make her look constipated as she announced "Me!" as if she was a stupid kid who had won a particularly hard game of Gobstones. _Honestly._ The children he taught were more bearable than his fellow Death Eaters, if only because he could tell them they were horrid little leeches when they annoyed him.

"Excellent." Was Voldemort's curt answer. "You can help lost little Lucius find his way home, then."

Titters of laughter traveled down the table as Alecto's face soured. "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort turned to Titus Nott, to inquire about the Department of Mysteries, and the meeting continued.

As usual.

\--------------

_July 31st, 2015_

Draco wandered around the garden. Ever since Father had been caught in America and Mother had been threatened by the Dark Lord, who frequented his home more often than not nowadays, the garden was his only solace.

It was late out, and he wanted nothing more than to be in bed, instead of outside under the full moon. But the disgusting pervasive feel of dark magic, hot and heavy in every room, had been too much to bear. He'd needed a break from it.

_Snap!_

A branch broke behind him, and Draco Regulus Malfoy, heir to the house of Malfoy and a pure blood in the noble house of Slytherin, did _not_ jump, but _spun_ with _grace_ to see where the sound had come from. Two large gold eyes stared back at him from the edge of the treeline. He supposed they were from a stray dog, and threw a medium sized rock at it.

"Go away, you stupid mutt. I don't have any food." He spat.

At this point, it would be less trouble to go back inside. As he walked away, he felt a shift in the air, and when he turned, the dog- no, _wolf,_ had lunged straight at him.

He felt a scream tear from his throat as the wolf's jaw closed around his left arm, just above the elbow. A burning hot pain rushed through him, and he collapsed on the ground, the world swimming and fading around him. Vaguely, he registered a woman's voice shouting something, a high pitched laugh far off… and then nothing.

\--------------

_August 1st, 2015_

_Knock knock knock!_

Sirius growled to himself at whoever was knocking incessantly at the door as he set the bandages he had down, kissing Remus's hand and descending downstairs.

When he opened the door, he expected Nymphadora, Minevra, or Dumbledore to be there, waiting to deliver some urgent news or in need of a place to lay low from some bastard. Hell, even _Snape_ would have been more expected than the duo in front of him.

For Narcissa Malfoy was on the other side of the door, supporting her unconscious and bleeding son. And if her appearance was a surprise, then the words that came out of her were nothing short of a complete _shock._

"Cousin… I need your help. _Please."_


	7. Hufflepuffs are badasses, don't you forget it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finally done with this! Next chapter is going to be something exciting, I promise.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one!

_July 6th, 2015_

Cedric didn't have very many clear memories of anything that happened the night after the graveyard. Most of what he heard or saw was blurred, distant, as if heard through a badly-tuned radio or viewed through a foggy window.

But one day, sunlight streaming through the blue linen curtains, he woke up and _stayed_ up. And remembered after, too.

The first thing he noticed was the brightness of the room, the scratchy feel of the sheets beneath and over his body. The second was his mother, seated in a dark leather chair next to his bed. She was writing something down on a length of parchment, her favorite flamingo quill in hand. Cedric was content to lay there and watch her, as he had often done as a child, listening to her write for hours and hours on end as he played under or by her desk, WWN playing in the corner.

He heard footsteps to his left, and blearily turned his head to look at the Healer next to him. Brown hair in a tight bun, lime green robes with the Healer's insignia, and a clipboard in her hands.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Diggory." She said in a curt voice, and he heard his mother utter a soft gasp of surprise before he felt her arms around him, hugging him tightly and sobbing.

"Mrs. Diggory- Ma'am, I'm going to need you to release your son for a moment- ma'am, yes, I do see that he's awake, I just need- please- to run a few tests-"

"My boy! My boy, my _baby-_ Merlin and Morgana, he's _awake,_ oh Cedric, I love you so, _so_ much my baby-"

It was a battle of wills, then and there, but Cedric knew his mother was a woman of steel, and he should expect her to continue hugging him for a while. So instead of fighting it, he simply sank into her embrace and whispered a hoarse- "Hey, Mum." before dissolving into a coughing fit. The Healer finally managed to pry his mother off him, with instructions to call for his father as she checked him over.

"Well, Mr. Diggory, I'm Healer Andromeda Tonks, and I'm going to be checking your vitals and overall wellness today."

"Andro- are you… Nymphadora's mum?" Cedric asked weakly. He remembered Nymphadora, a few years above him. Reckless, funny, and caring. If he'd gotten her mum as his Healer, he was in good hands.

Healer Tonks nodded. "I am. Now, we're going to do a few tests while your mother gets your father and anyone else in your family who wants to see you, alright?"

"Alright."

The next twenty minutes were less of a blur than Cedric expected, but he was still exhausted by the end. Healer Tonks checked his eyes, hearing, mobility, reflexes, speech, and muscle coordination. His mum had returned with his dad around the time he was doing speech, which distracted him for a bit as his father wrapped him up in a tight hug, sobbing as his mother had. 

As the afternoon progressed, more and more people showed up- family, friends and well-wishers, even a few reporters tried to get into the room, but Healer Tonks was, frankly, a very terrifying and efficient woman who did not allow the paparazzi to disturb her patients, so that was that.

It took eight grueling, exhausting, and slightly boring days to be released, with strict instructions for exercises and potions and sleeping limits that Cedric didn't really pay too much attention to, as he was busy trying to walk to the Floo _without_ falling over. Crutches were easy to use, in theory. Execution? Not so much. But Cedric was used to challenges. He was sure he'd be a pro in no time.

He was however, rather put out that all his owls to Harry and Dumbledore had returned unopened, the Minister himself discouraging him from writing to Harry and his Professor, which in and of itself was both bullshit and highly suspicious.

When he got home, the first greeting he gave was to his couch. The second was to his mother's cat, Cheesecake, and the third was to Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting on his island eating grapes and (oddly enough) clad in bright pink robes with fluorescent green roller skates.

Wait. What?

"Hello Cedric. I can't tell you how glad I am to see you home and in far better health than the last time we were in a room together."

"Ummmm." Cedric said eloquently, as his parents arrived through the Floo, his mother holding a bag that clinked with enough potion bottles to open a store with.

"Ah, Albus. Glad to see you were able to make it." Amos said, as if Dumbledore sitting and eating grapes in his kitchen was a normal occurrence. For all Cedric knew, it probably was.

With a practised flick of his wrist, three scrolls tied with a red and gold trimmed ribbon floated to his parents and himself.

"What- what's that? What are they for?" Cedric asked, finally pushing himself into an upright position, grabbing the scroll apprehensively. Dumbledore just smiled at him.

"Tell me, my dear boy. What do you know about the Order of the Phoenix?"

\-------------

_July 15th, 2015_

Cedric's first thought was that the headquarters for the Order needed some serious TLC. Dust coated nearly every surface, the wallpaper was molding and peeling, and the lights flickered and sputtered more often than not.

His second thought was how _loud_ the place was.

Not only did the portraits scream, the doors and windows rattle seemingly at random, and loud explosions and thumps were considered _normal,_ but every single Weasley kid was under one roof.

Never a good thing.

Currently, it was absolute pandemonium. Fred and George were running downstairs with something or other of Ron's, pursued by the boy in question, while Harry was attempting to get Cedric, his parents, and Neville, whose grandmother recently joined the fray, to safety. Hermione was on the Muggle felly-tone in Fred's hand, chaisting the Weasley boys for their unruly behavior. Cedric had been given one of the felly-tone mobile things, and was fairly confident in his abilities to work it.

Neville tried to flee to the kitchen from behind Harry, but was swiftly cut off as Ginny jumped off the top of the door (where had she come from?) to leap onto George's back, attempting to snatch what looked like a poster from his hands. George quickly threw the poster to Fred, who threw it to a confused and exasperated Charlie, who tried to give it to Ron but was intercepted by Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, who flew to the top of a snake chandelier and hooted in victory, much to the annoyance and anger of the Weasleys.

Bill and Percy ran out into the hall, the former shouting to be heard over the portraits.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU DOING TO CAUSE ALL THIS RACKET? MUM'S GOING BATSHIT AND DAD'S NOT HAVING MUCH LUCK IN CALMING HER DOWN."

Which started a whole new argument and even _more_ yelling. Great. At least he knew things weren't going to be boring around here.

Beatrice and Amos took one look at the scene unfolding before their eyes and Apparited away, and Cedric could've smacked himself if he wasn't so amused by the antics. Ginny acted like a possessed spider-monkey thing, swinging and climbing off of every person and surface she could, Hermione was still shouting and Bill was too, attempting to restore peace alongside Percy, Charlie was on a ledge, trying simultaneously to be and _not_ be involved, the twins were being, well… their usual selves, all while Ron tried valiantly to get his poster back from an owl the size of a lime, swinging off a chandelier that had seen better days and usage. All while they yelled at each other in an orchestra of accusations and pettiness. 

It was truly impressive. Cedric would have to thank his parents for never giving him siblings.

 **_"ENOUGH."_ ** Mrs. Weasley bellowed, stomping out from the kitchen to face her children, and even the portraits fell silent. Charlie was still on the ledge, perched like a dragon and attempting to direct Ron to Pigwidgeon, Ginny was clutching onto Bill's back, Fred and George were standing on adjacent stair banisters and Percy was frozen with his arms in the air. All of them looked at Mrs. Weasley at the same time with the same face, and Cedric dearly, _dearly_ wished for a camera.

"I cannot _believe_ the seven of you, acting like fools and ruffians! I raised you better than that! Yes, I'm talking to you too, William Arthur and Percival Ignatius! You two, of _all_ your brothers and sister, should know and act better than this!"

"Let's get out of here." Harry whispered urgently, tugging on Cedric's sleeve, who was in no mood to argue. The kitchen was a shock of bright yellow walls, several members mingling about, the Floo lighting up or the occasional _*crack*_ of Apparition signaling the arrival of more members. Cedric was relieved to see the dreary decor wasn't in at least _one_ room of the house.

"Hello Cedric," A mild, familiar voice said beside him, and he spun around to see Professor Lupin standing next to him, a dark haired, handsome man behind him. "Nice to see you again."

Cedric smiled and shook his hand. He'd always like Lupin, and when the scandal about him being a werewolf happened, he was among those who tried to campaign for his remain at the school.

"Cedric, this is Sirius Black. Sirius, this is one of my former students, Cedric Diggory."

Cedric did a double take at that, trying to match the face of the man in front of him with the face he'd seen on wanted posters for two years now, a comparison he couldn't help even if Dumbledore had explained to him that Sirius was on their side. The beard was gone, the hair better kept, the face less like a living corpse. In short, he looked nothing like the posters, and more like a person, which probably served to better hide him.

Cedric extended a hand to Sirius too, out of politeness. "Erm… Hello sir… it's nice to meet you."

Black chuckled, waving his free hand in the air. The one that held Cedric's was warm and calloused, the look on his face open and friendly. "Don't call me 'sir' kid. I'm not _that_ old. Just Sirius is fine."

"Alright si-... Sirius."

Black clapped him on the shoulder with another smile (where'd he get such good teeth from?) as he walked towards Harry. "Talk to you later, kid. I've got a godson to encourage mischief in." 

The two of them walked away, a wide smile on both faces. Cedric would've liked to try and talk one-on-one with Harry, but he was sure that he'd get a chance soon.

Lupin shook his head. "He's not joking either… have a seat Cedric. The meeting's going to start soon, and you don't have to stand if you don't feel like it."

As he gratefully took a seat on the scrubbed bench, Cedric remembered why he always liked Lupin. He was a perceptive, caring person, someone you couldn't help but trust in.

"Doing alright, Ced?" His father said behind him, clapping a hand on his shoulder as Black had done. Cedric nodded, smiling for his father's benefit, but he really just wanted to nap for the next five years.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly marched back in, her three eldest behind her, Bill and Charlie leaving immediately to sit somewhere _not_ next to their fuming mother.

Mrs. Weasley angrily organized the parchment and papers on the table as she muttered to herself. Mcgonagall sent Harry out as Dumbledore arrived, but Cedric saw Sirius slip something into his hand before he left the room. Everyone who was still standing took a seat, and those that were sitting sat harder as Dumbledore greeted the Order and made announcements. 

The more Dumbledore talked, the more Cedric knew he had made the right choice in agreeing to join. News of Death Eaters, Muggle-borns being denied entry in certain places or cursed, a few missing even, already. It made him mad. He'd _seen_ Voldemort return, not in full, but he had seen his face, his haunting eyes. He knew that a war was brewing. Why did so few others know that too?

It was a question he pondered all throughout the meeting, then at dinner, his daily potions, and in bed, glaring at the ceiling as if it held the answers and solutions he needed to make things right. Sometimes, the world really sucked.

But he could make it better. _Would_ make it better, no matter what it took.

That thought comforted him as he fell asleep. One way or another, no matter what, he would fight and help others. And, in his own way, win. 

Or try, at least. And that was better than nothing.


	8. Got a Locket in your pocket, taking this one to the Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I heard you guys like Harry's POV and crack/serious storylines in one go, and I am a man of the people. Enjoy :)

_July 16th, 2015_

Harry awoke to the sound of his phone buzzing incessantly on the bed table. Fumbling to get out of his blankets, he grabbed the phone and quickly turned it over to read the messages rapidly popping up.

_Hermione:_ Guys, I've been told by Professor Dumbledore that I can come stay with you all now!

 _Hermione:_ I'll be over in 15 minutes, about.

 _Hermione:_ There is a chance I'll be there earlier though.

Ginny: great you can help us clean the drawing room

 **_Ron:_ **whats wrong with the drawing room?

Ginny:  the twins set off probably a million glitter bombs

Ginny:  among… other things

 _Hermione:_ I'm already regretting this…

_Tonks:_ Sorry mates, i maaaaaaaay have given them some spare prank materials i found around my flat

 **Lupin:** Oh dear

Ginny:  come over

Ginny: come over right the fuck now and help us clean it up

Ginny: Nyphadora Narcissa Tonks istg 

_ Tonks: _ HOW do you know my MIDDLE NAME

Ginny: because your mum was yelling at you last week for showing up to the order meeting looking like you were "freshly fucked"

 _Hermione:_ … I really don't think it's too late to owl the Headmaster and tell him I've changed my mind.

 **Harry:** Your loss 

**_Ron:_ ** are we not going to talk about the 'freshly fucked' thing

_Tonks:_ d'you want to die, little man?

 _ Tonks: _ I'm 22, I can do what I want

 **_Ron:_ ** fair enough

 **_Cedric :_ ** … I have a phone for one day and _this_ is what goes on in this chat?

 **_Cedric :_ ** I can never let my parents read any of this or they will finish the job that Voldemort started.

Ginny: y i k e s

 **Harry:** You get used to it, Ced

 **_Ron:_ **since when d'you call him 'ced'?

 **Harry:** Since we went on a deadly field trip courtesy of Mr. Snakebitch himself

 **_Ron:_ ** again, fair enough 

**Lupin :** … when I was your age, the most dangerous thing I did was regular smoking and drinking 

Ginny: well, harry got shanked in the face by Douchebag Supreme as a titsucker sooooo

 **_Ron:_ **ginevra molly

 **_Ron:_ ** i _beg_ of you

 **_Ron:_ ** to NEVER refer to a baby as a 'titsucker' instead 

Ginny: what about snape though 

**_Ron:_ **what about him

Ginny: can i call him a titsucker 

**_Ron:_ **yes

 **Harry:** Yes

 _ Tonks: _ yes

**Lupin** **_:_ ** Only if he has truly deserved it 

Ginny: that's not a no and i'm here for it

 **_Cedric :_ ** I'm a little afraid, I'm not going to lie

 **_Cedric :_ ** Seeing as how Dumbledore also asked me to stay at headquarters 

**Harry:** Welcome to hell I'll be your guide for today

 **Harry:** We have lovely attractions such as "screaming portrait hall" "sitting room of death" "staircase of pain" "bathroom of doom" and so, so much more

 **_Cedric :_ ** Wait-

 **_Cedric :_ ** "Bathroom of doom"?

 **_Ron:_ ** there is a bathroom

 **_Ron:_ ** and every time you flush a toilet

 **_Ron_ ** **:** ANYWHERE in the house

 **_Ron:_ ** its flooded with raw sewage

 **_Cedric :_ ** What the actual fuck.

Ginny: i wish he was joking

 **_Ron:_ ** i wish i was joking too

 **_Ron:_ ** we have to empty out the bathtub/toilet/sink every so often 

**_Ron:_ ** WITHOUT MAGIC

 **Lupin :** I'm bringing my cats over today, because my cat-sitter is off on a vacation to Barcelona, so please keep that bathroom door shut, thank you

Ginny: lUPIN WHAT THE HELL

 **Lupin :** What?

Ginny: you are a WEREWOLF 

Ginny: basically a DOG

Ginny: who owns CATS

Ginny: _C A T S_

 _ Tonks: _ God if i were straight and single i'd marry you lupin

 **_Ron:_ ** this is literally a recipe for disaster you dont understand 

**Lupin :** I assure you, Biscuit and Potato are very well trained but curious, and I could not get rid if them if I tried

 **Lupin :** And I have tried. They found me again anyways

 **Harry:** Lupin, I want you to know with all of my heart that those are _excellent_ cat names

_Tonks:_ I agree 10000000%

**Lupin:** Thank you. I named them while drunk and now they refuse to respond to anything else. And they are also the biggest cuddle-bugs I've ever known (besides Sirius) 

**Lupin:** So expect to never have personal space again

 _Hermione:_ … still a better love story than Twilight.

**_Cedric:_ ** I have a cat named Cheesecake 

**Harry:** Excellent. 1000000/10, would die for Cheesecake 

Ginny:  same

**_Cedric:_ ** Cheesecake says thank you

Suddenly, there was a shout from downstairs that sounded distinctly like "GINERVA WEASLEY!" which very effectively drew his attention away from the amusing conversation happening.

Curious as to what Ginny had done, and who was yelling at her, Harry got out of bed and downstairs to investigate. Creeping into the kitchen, torchlight on his phone activated, he saw- and there was no other way to put this- absolute _chaos._

Kreacher- who he'd seen only once or twice before now- was levitating what looked to be every pot and pan in the kitchen, all covered in suds and crashing together. The WWN played on full blast, only it had been stopped on an advertisement channel. Ginny was singing on top of a china cabinet and holding a white cat like Simba during the Lion King, while Ron either filmed or took pictures of her, it was hard to tell from so far away. Lupin held the roundest cat Harry had ever seen, which was covered in suds in Lupin's arms, most likely to shield him from being snatched by the twins, who sounded like they too wanted to recreate some scene. Sirius was under the table, grinning widely and wielding a broom like a spear, and Mrs. Weasley was on top of the table, yelling and attempting to snatch the cat away from Ginny. Bill peered in the doorway, beelined for the Floo, and was gone. 

Harry just watched everything in front of him with a feeling of surrealism. 

"Hello Harry." The Headmaster said from behind him, and Harry jumped and turned to look at the older man, who was surveying the scene before them like it was a particularly entertaining episode of a show he liked. Hermione and Cedric stood at his side, looking torn between horror and amusement.

"Hello Headmaster," Harry said, and then looked at Hermione and Cedric, who had made no attempts to get any closer to the mess unfolding in front of their eyes.

"Like I said… Welcome to hell."

\--------------

Thirty minutes later saw them in the drawing room, scrubbing glitter covered mold off the wall while Mrs. Weasley watched them with a guarded eye, speaking quietly with Professor Dumbledore. Cedric was using his wand to clean the floor, leaning on his crutches slightly. Lupin had gone out after Dumbledore had said something quietly to him, and Mrs. Weasley had confined Sirius to the kitchen with Kreacher and Hermione.

So all and all, it was a normal day for the residents of Grimmauld Place. A bit of calm before the next storm.

Harry, personally, enjoyed the chaos, though he'd never dare say that in front of Mrs. Weasley. It reminded him of the liveliness and _freedom_ that he always associated with Hogwarts and the entirety of the Wizarding world. Privet Drive was stifling, suffocating, sameness copied over blandness. Here, there was always adventure and noise, even if it came in the form of the twins yelling at Ron for dumping purple dye on them, or the screaming portrait of Sirius's raving mother, or Ginny breaking a plate because Sirius said it'd be fun to do. It was _wonderful._

Lunch came right before the room with finished, delicious sandwiches courtesy of Mrs. Weasley's excellent skills in the kitchen. Sirius, Hermione, and Kreacher came out to help clear the cabinets and drawers out of anything deemed "Dark" or "dangerous", and to be fair, some of it _was_ pretty dangerous. Like a music box that put them in a trace until Ginny managed to slam it shut, or a brooch that squirted poisonous gas into the wearer's face. Kreacher had a different view on the items in question, and kept trying to smuggle them in his ragged 'clothing' or Apparite away with it. Other stuff included, in no particular order- a snuff box that screamed, stabbing quills, biting drawer handles, a desk the reared up and kicked anyone within range (they all went to great lengths to avoid _that_ character) and a locket with an ornate emerald 'S' on it that none of them could pry open, but left them all with a sense of uncleanliness and chills.

Curiously, while Kreacher only muttered violently under his breath as most everything else was tossed, he pitched a fit and engaged Sirius in a _vicious_ game of tug-of-war when the locket was revealed.

"Master Sirius cannot throw the locket away! He can _not_ throw it away!" Kreacher screamed, looking equal parts enraged and… terrified?

"It's just a piece of jewelry Kreacher, let it go!" Sirius roared back, trying to pry Kreacher's bony fingers off the chain. Kreacher, at this point, was crying in addition to screaming at Sirius.

"MASTER SIRIUS CANNOT THROW AWAY MASTER REGULUS'S LOCKET! HE _CAN'T!_ " Kreacher wailed, and Sirous had a look of total shook cross his face as Lupin, back from wherever Dumbledore had sent him, slipped back into the room.

"What- Kreacher, what did you say? This is- _was-_ **_whose_** locket?!" Sirius was pale, and his grip on the locket loosened enough for Kreacher to snatch it away from Sirius quickly, holding it to his chest and sobbing.

Lupin held Sirius, either to keep him from strangling Kreacher or falling in shock, though both seemed likely.

"Master Regulus- Master, he gave- Master was-" Kreacher sobbed, unable to form complete sentences through his tears. Hermione tried to place a comforting hand on his arm, but Kreacher screamed and howled worse than before. Through his barrage of insults, the Weasleys, Cedric, and Harry came to her defense.

"The Mudblood touched Kreacher! The Mudblood _touched_ Kreacher! For shame, for shame! Dirty, filthy girl!"

"She just wanted to _help_ you, not that you deserve it!" Ginny fired back, Ron and the twins on a similar vein of speech. Harry pulled Hermione behind him as Kreacher bared his yellow teeth, and Ron yelled "Don't touch her!" when Kreacher attempted to lunge at Hermione, which caused everyone to argue even _louder_ than before.

"SHUT UP." Sirius yelled, Lupin still holding him up slightly as he looked over the room. With a small sigh, he drew himself up to his full height, and looked Kreacher in the eye, walking over to him.

"Kreacher, I _order you_ to tell me what you mean when you say that locket belonged to my brother and I order you to tell me _now."_ He growled, and Harry looked at Sirius in surprise.

"Wait… you have a brother?" He asked, echoing what was on everyone else's mind.

"Had. He grew up, joined the Death Eaters, and then was killed when he got cold feet, or so I've heard." Sirius stated, then pointed at Kreacher. "Start talking, you little shit. Why did my brother have a cursed locket, and _where_ did he get it from?"

Kreacher took a few heaving breaths, wiping his face on his dirty rag, and spoke, though Harry could tell that if he was not ordered to do so, he would've Apparited away by now, locket and all.

"Eight- Eighteen years ago, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord's rank as a Death Eater, one of the Marked. Mistress and Master were so _pleased,_ so _proud,_ and Master Regulus- ever the good boy- was very willing to do as the Dark Lord ordered, to bring honor to the Noble House of Black. Master _Sirius,_ filthy bloodtraitor he is, could _never_ have done so, but Master Regulus knew his place, spoke of the Dark Lord with great reverence, oh yes.

But one day, the Dark Lord had a… need, for a House Elf. Master Regulus said that Kreacher would do, and he told Kreacher it was a great honor, that it would be one of the finest moments in Kreacher's life to be able to service the Dark Lord, that Kreacher was to obey his every command and then come straight back to Master Regulus."

You could've heard a pin drop, the room was so quiet. Harry had an eerie feeling that even the portraits were listening to Kreacher's tale.

"So Kreacher went with the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord did not tell Kreacher what they were about to do, but took Kreacher to with him to a cave beside the sea. And beyond the cave there was a cavern, and in the cavern there was a great black lake… There was a boat... There was a b-basin, filled with a glowing green potion on the island.. and- And the Dark Lord-" Here Kreacher faltered, shaking his head violently, like a dog trying to rid itself of water in it's ears- or someone remembering something terrible.

"The- the Dark Lord ordered Kreacher to drink the potion… so he did. And- and he remembered and felt horrible, _horrible_ things, he cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress Black, but no matter how much Kreacher pleaded and begged, the Dark Lord did not let Kreacher stop drinking until… the basin was completely empty… and he dropped the locket in-" He shook the locket he held for emphasis. "-refilled the basin, and left… sailed away... left Kreacher there all alone… and Kreacher was so, so, _so_ thirsty… so he cupped his hands, to drink the water all around him… _and then hands came out of the water and dragged Kreacher under."_

Hermione had her hands over her mouth, looking like she wanted to comfort him still, and everyone else held similar looks of shock and horror on their faces as Kreacher continued.

"The- the hands dragged Kreacher under… bodies upon bodies were under the water… and Kreacher couldn't breathe… but then, he was back here."

"But how?" Ginny asked, looking confused as she broke the silence. Kreacher scowled at her, as if she was a particularly stupid person, and Ginny scowled right back.

"Ginny- remember- house-elves _have_ to obey direct orders. They _have_ to." Hermione said, and Ginny clapped her hand to her forehead with a look of annoyance on her face. Harry remembered Dobby, back in his second year, and the way he would have to punish himself if he got too close to telling Harry something he wasn't allowed to. Kreacher looked as annoyed as Ginny did as he spoke again.

"Master Regulus was very… _interested_ in where and what Kreacher did. Master Regulus, he was always a smart boy, very smart, and he knew something had happened in that cave with Kreacher and the Dark Lord… When Kreacher told him, Master Regulus became even more obsessed with the Dark Lord than he had previously, and he… he feared for Kreacher, the sweet boy, ordered him to stay hidden, he did. He would cut out articles and book pages on the Dark Lord, and he always asked Kreacher about the locket… and then, one day… he asked Kreacher to take him to where the locket was… so Kreacher did. And he had asked that- that Kreacher not tell Mistress, that Kreacher help him destroy the locket… so Kreacher promised, even though Mistress would kill Kreacher if she knew… It- Master Regulus was not himself, he had not been himself for a long time… when Kreacher asked _why_ Master Regulus wanted to go to the locket, he said…" Kreacher's face contorted into a snarl. "That he wanted to make- to make Master _Sirius_ proud."

"He wanted to make me proud… by stealing a piece of jewelry from Voldemort?" Sirius asked, confused. Kreacher shook his head.

"No, no stupid, _wretched_ boy… the locket… it is dark magic. Very old, _very_ dark magic that the Dark Lord employed to make himself immortal."

"And Regulus knew this." Lupin said, Kreacher nodding in conformation. 

"Master Regulus was always a smart boy, very smart indeed… he heard whispers from Mistress Bellatrix and the other Marked that the Dark Lord had cracked the secret to immortality, and that it laid with an ancient and powerful object...Master Regulus had become fearful of the Dark Lord… said that no man should live forever, that the only immortality a man should have comes with being a legend, not a monster… so he went to- to get the locket and destroy it…" Kreacher's sobs started back up, but he seemed determined to finish the story, to let them know what Regulus had done.

"Master Regulus… went to the cave with- with a locket of his own… he d-drank the potion, drank all of the potion, oh, why why _why_ didn't Master Regulus let Kreacher drink instead?!

He- he sc-screamed, screamed all his regrets and n-nightmares… had Kreacher switch the lockets- and went to the water's edge like Kreacher had done-s and- and the hands- … the hand took Master Regulus from Kreacher!"

Hermione tried to surge forward again to hug Kreacher, and it was only with the quick reflexes born of being a Seeker that Harry and Cedric were able to stop her before she touched him and made his sobbing worse than before.

"Kreacher came back here… _with_ the locket… _without_ Master Regulus… and no matter what or how Mistress punished Kreacher, Kreacher could not say what had happened to Master Regulus, Kreacher could not say! His Mistress was mad with grief, because Master Regulus had disappeared, and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any of his f-f-family what happened in the c-cave...

But K-Kreacher tried- tried to fulfill Master Regulus's dying wish to destroy the locket… but nothing, _nothing_ Kreacher did would work. No spells, no objects… Kreacher could not even get the locket to open- he punished himself, he tried again, for Kreacher was sure the way to destroy it was to get inside it… he failed orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! Master, Master Regulus, forgive Kreacher, forgive Kreacher, for Kreacher has failed you!"

At this point he had become inconsolable, beating his tiny fists and feet on the freshly cleaned floor. Sirius had, at some point, sat down on a low table, his head in his hands, Lupin's hand on his shoulder. The room was silent, broken only by the dim fire crackling and the sounds of Kreacher's grief.

\--------------

A few hours later, alone in his room, Harry thought about Kreacher's story, about a boy only a few years older than him being dragged under water black as night. He'd joined Voldemort, the man responsible for the death of his parents, and almost Cedric's death too. But then… he tried to fight back against him, in his own way.

But _why?_

He needed answers.

Silent as a mouse, he slipped out of his room and smacked straight into Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, there you are Harry." Hermione said, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the stairs, Ron walking next to him.

"Er, hi? Uh… where are we going?" Harry asked, walking up the stairs. He'd never been higher than the second floor, but it looked like Hermione was leading him to the highest landing in the house.

"Well, Ron and I… we found something. We thought you should see it too, we thought it might have… some answers to what Kreacher told us earlier." Hermione answered, dragging him with even more urgency than before. Bewildered, Harry allowed her to lead him to a room down the end of the hall. A bronze plate sat in the upper center of a dark door.

**Do not enter**

**Without the Express Permission of**

**Regulus Arcturus Black**

"Woah." Harry said, reading over the plate. He looked back at Hermione and Ron. "Should we… go in? Have you two been in yet?"

Ron and Hermione shook their heads. "We went to get you first, mate." Ron said. Harry smiled slightly at that, and then tried to turn the handle. His smile fell.

"It's locked." He said, jiggling the handle harder. Hermione huffed and pushed him out of the way.

"Oh, _honestly."_ She said in exasperation, whipping her wand out of her back pocket and tapping the door handle. " _Alohomora."_

"... Why didn't _we_ think of that?" Ron moaned as Hermione opened the door. Inside was a space slightly smaller than the one Harry and Ron occupied, the walls decorated in Slytherin hangings, the Black Family Crest painstakingly painted over the bed. Pictures and newspaper clippings were stuck, mural-like, above the expensive desk. They all were of Voldemort, his rise to power, followers, laws he tried to get passed via the Purebloods who aligned themselves to him. In one corner was a picture of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Regulus sat in the middle of the front row. A thick layer of dust covered every inch of the room, attesting to the fact that it had been undisturbed for a very, very long time.

"He was a Seeker." Harry muttered, walking over to the picture. Regulus looked a lot like Sirius, the same black hair tied back, same haughty, high features. The only true differences were that Regulus had icy blue eyes, whereas Sirius had grey, and the scowl that seemed to be permanently etched onto his face made him seem rather less handsome than his brother.

"Hmmm?" Hermione was looking through the dresser drawers, pulling up several Slytherin ties, grey socks, and then-

"Woah… what _is_ that?" Ron asked incredulously. Harry, on the other hand, had chills run down his spine the moment he saw the mask. A silver raven-face pattern was etched into the mask, black, swirling, decorative tendrils running up the sides and over the forehead, a small beak protruding from the mouth. The slits for the eyes and beak were covered in a fine black mesh.

"Death Eater mask." Harry said faintly, in response to Ron's question. "Each- all Death Eaters have their own mask, with an animal of their choice. Malfoy's dad has a peacock."

Ron snorted quietly. "Figures. And ol' Regulus had a raven."

"Well, Sirius did show me… his family crest has ravens on it." Harry said quietly, reading some of the yellowed articles on the wall. "So it makes sense that he would choose that animal."

"You'd think it'd be a snake though, the Blacks are like the Malfoys, they've been in Slytherin since it was first founded, basically." Ron replied, pulling out a pair of classy yet outdated dress robes from the wardrobe. "Holy _shit,_ this is _real_ silk."

Hermione smacked Ron's arm. " _Focus,"_ She hissed, putting her hands in the pockets. "Maybe he left a clue in the robes."

"We're looking for a way to destroy the locket, right?" Harry said, feeling relieved when Ron and Hermione nodded in confirmation. "Good. Anything that makes _Voldemort_ immortal… it needs to be destroyed."

Behind Harry, a sudden _crack!_ echoed throughout the room, Kreacjer looking nearly hysterical with rage. Harry immediately threw his hands up, dropping a small scrap of parchment he had just picked up.

"FILTH! DISGRACE AND DISHONOR ON YOUR FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS! HOW _DARE_ YOU GO THROUGH THE GREAT MASTER REGULUS'S ROOM LIKE A _CHARITY STORE!"_ Kreacher shrieked, eyes nearly popping out of his face. Harry thought fast, before anyone could come upstairs to investigate the noise, or worse, stop them.

"We're trying to find out how to destroy the locket!" He fired back, and Kreacher paused in informing Hermione of something _very_ rude.

"What?" He croaked, walking over to Harry, who spoke very quickly, not wanting to restart the screaming. "We- we thought that, y'know… Regulus did a lot of research here, right? What if… he left a clue or an idea of how to destroy it somewhere around here?" Kreacher paused, and seemed to consider this.

"That is… somewhat likely." Kreacher finally said. "But it would have to be _very_ well hidden, as Master Regulus did not want Mistress or Master to know of his betrayal to the Dark Lord."

"That makes sense," Ron said, going through the wardrobe now that he was sure Kreacher wasn't going to strangle them with a spare tie. "So, if I was a recently defected Death Eater who lived with literal snakes and needed to hide something from Lord Noseless himself, where would I put it?"

Harry paced the room, trying to think. He tried to put himself in Voldemort's shoes first, and think about where he would theoretically look in order to cross off as many places as possible. Ron and Hermione muttered behind him as he came to a sudden, and chilling, epiphany.

"Guys… what if- what if Regulus _isn't_ dead?" Ron scoffed as soon as he spoke, but the more Harry thought about it, the more right he felt about it. "No, no- think about it… I _know_ Voldemort, I've battled against him three times now, I know how he works and what he thinks... If someone had outsmarted him, he'd want to punish that person _himself,_ to ensure that they really were dead." Harry rounded on Kreacher. "Do you know if Voldemort ever returned to the cave?"

Kreacher shook his head quickly, ears flapping with the force of it. "N-no… Kreacher does not."

"Do _you_ think he returned to the cave, Harry?" Hermione asked, and Harry could practically see the gears turning in her head as she too considered this.

"No… if he had, it would've been mentioned to me by now… he's a very prideful person, but more than that, he _likes_ making others afraid. And what would scare me off more than a tale of how he killed the last person who attempted to best him?"

"That's- honestly a good point, mate." Ron said.

"So what, _we_ go to the cave and… what, see if we can rescue a person who we don't even know if he's alive or not? And how do we get there, or fight off the "bodies in the water" or whatever?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Kreacher can take us there." Harry answered, thinking quickly. "And we know a lot of spells, guys… remember all the ones we learned for the maze last month? We get in, pull Regulus out of the water-"

"But _how?"_ Ron asked this time. "We're not fish Harry, we can't breathe underwater. And none of us know the Bubble-head charm."

"Dobby." Harry remembered how the house-elf had brought him Gillyweed back in February for the Second Task. Hadn't Crouch Jr. _told_ him so, under the effects of Veritaserum? "Dobby brought me Gillyweed for the Second Task, if we asked him to get some for us-"

"-He'd get it, no questions asked!" Rom whooped, now completely on board with the idea of saving the "dead" brother of Harry's godfather. Even Hermione looked slightly mollified at that.

"Dobby!" Harry called, and with another _crack!_ a second house-elf Appareted into the room, dressed in sport shorts, mis-matched socks, a ludicrously patterned horseshoe tie, and a tea cozy stamped with the crest of Hogwarts on the edge.

"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, looking up at Harry with wide green eyes. Harry knelt down in front of him, to look him in the eye.

"I have a small request for you… think you can do it?" Dobby looked beyond pleased that Harry had considered him for a task, and nodded.

"It would be Dobby's honor to help Harry Potter on his latest noble quest!" He squeaked. "Anything Harry Potter asks of Dobby, he will do it sir, or die trying!"

"Right well, you won't need to die for this." Harry said quickly. "Here's what I need you to do…"

\-------------

Harry could scarcely remember a time where he had been more nervous yet determined to pull off a mission successfully. The times he tried to (mistakingly) keep Snape from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, or had to rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, or was breaking Sirius out of Professor Flitwick's office came to mind. 

Dinner came and went. Harry, Ron and Hermione were more subdued than usual, but as most everyone else was too, no one could say it was suspicious. They ate, helped clean up, and retired to bed early, making sure they had everything they needed one last time.

The plan was, in theory, both simple and complicated. Kreacher would Apparete them to the cliff Voldemort had gone too, use the boat to sail to the cave, and get Regulus out of the water with the use of Gillyweed. Harry, they had decided, would be the one to take it, as he had the most experience with the plant and its effects, while Ron and Hermione would stay back and fight the bodies that came out of the water. Hermione had theorized that they were reanimated corpses, or-

"Inferi," She said, pointing at a book page, an illustration of a ghastly grey body staggering towards a screaming witch. " _Very_ Dark magic… it- You-Know-Who might've used them to guard the lake. Their only weakness is fire." 

"Great." Harry said, because it really was. Zombies had killed Regulus Black, because of _course_ Voldemort would guard his most prized possession with corpses. Of course he would.

Ron had the brilliant idea of getting several joke items and potions from the twins. Harry had given them several Galleons for it, which they tried to refuse, until Ron got suspicious. Harry had a feeling he'd find the money returned to him in some weird way later. He did give them his split of the Triwizard winnings, after all.

Supplies packed, tensions and stakes high, they waited until everyone had gone to bed, and then an hour after. Hermione charmed their shoes to stay silent, and Harry broke out his Invisibility Cloak. Together, they snuck downstairs and to the kitchen, where Kreacher and Dobby were waiting for them.

"What are you all doing?" A quiet voice from the shadows said, and they all jumped. Lupin and Sirius sat in the far corner of the kitchen, by the door and nearly completely hidden. Ron swore viciously, and Hermione looked pale. Dobby squeaked nervously and started twisting his ears.

"Erm…" Harry said, heart in his throat. "We… need to do something. Something important." Lupin waved his hand in a 'continue' motion. "And- and we just need… to confirm some things, that's all."

"I heard you earlier, talking about how my brother might not be dead." Sirous stated quietly, standing. For a moment, Harry thought that he might make them stay. The thought upset him in a way he couldn't describe. "And we want in."

Relief. That's what Harry felt as he locked eyes with his godfather, a grateful smile starting to spread across his face.

"Wait… for real?" Hermione said, readjusting her bag. Sirius and Lupin nodded.

"Well… let's get this show on the road." Sirius said, clapping his hands together. He and Lupin stood, each wearing a dark cloak made of a heavy material. Kreacher grumbled but allowed Sirius and Harry to take his hands, Dobby taking Ron's, Hermione's, and Lupin's. Wiith an uncomfortable and unfamiliar jolt, they Disapparited.

\--------------

The air was cold, and smelled of salt. Above them, the stars twinkled and shined in a way that they never could in London. Sirius looked around with an odd look of sadness and slight curiosity, Lupin standing right at his shoulder. Harry knew they were close, but the look they shared when they thought the others weren't looking at them made Harry wonder just _how_ close they truly were. They all lit their wand near simultaneously, spotting a cave a good distance across from them.

"Cold as _fuck_ here." Ron muttered, rubbing his arms. Hermione threw a clock at him and then Harry, which they gratefully accepted. Dobby grabbed Harry's pant leg, looking up at him.

"Sir… there is… much Dark magic here. Dobby can _feel_ it." Harry patted his tea cozy in a way he hoped came across as comforting.

"Er, yeah… but it's okay Dobby. We won't be here long." He said quietly. Kreacher was glowering at everyone and everything, but he led them, grumbling all the while, against a narrow strip of beach to the boat, which he summoned by grasping a place in thin air and pulling the boat to shore.

"It's only big enough for two people, _maybe_ three." Harry pointed out dejectedly. There was water at the bottom of the half-rotten boat, and honestly, even if three people _could_ fit in it, it seemed extremely likely to break if anything heavier than a bird was placed in it. Sirius examined the boat, and then the company.

"Kreacher, do we _have_ to use this boat to get to the cave?" When Kreacher nodded, Sirius sighed. "Alright, here's what we're going to do: Harry, the house-elves and I will go first, Harry and I'll sit, Dobby and Kreacher can stand. Then, we'll send the boat back and Remus, Ron, and Hermione will go. Hermione, you'll be fine with sitting in Ron's lap, right?"

Hermione looked slightly startled and almost… embarrassed? at the question, but nodded all the same. "Good." Sirius said. "It's settled. Harry, in the boat with me now, because I'm not entirely sure how long we can stay out before Molly finds out that we've left."

Seeing as how a wrathful Mrs. Weasley installed the fear of God and his might into Harry, he wasted no time clamoring into the tiny vessel, Sirius seated across from him. Dobby excitedly stood in the middle of the boat, smiling nervously at Harry, and Kreacher seemed to become angrier the happier Dobby was, it seemed.

With a sudden lurch, the boat moved forward across the black water. Sirius locked eyes with Lupin for as long as he could, and then turned his piercing gaze on Harry when the boat rounded the corner and out of sight of the others.

"When I first heard your theory about Reggie- about my brother…" Sirius began softly. "I knew, then and there, that no one else could ever or would ever have a kid as smart as mine… your parents would be proud of you Harry. I know I am." 

For a moment, his vision swam as Sirius reached between them and held one of his hands, continuing. "And I know that I- haven't been able to be there for you, growing up, and I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I'm still going to have moments where I can't help you. But Harry… I'm going to try my best. I'm going to try my very best, and that's a promise."

Harry knew, more often than not, that adults made offers and gestures to placate you, to make you feel cared for or heard. Just so that they could do what they pleased, and you would be temporarily mollified. But when Sirius spoke, and looked at Harry with eyes that said he meant every single word that he said… he knew he wasn't lying. And he knew instantly why his dad was best friends with the man sitting across from him. Dobby and even Kreacher had gone quiet as Harry managed to nod.

"I- I'd like that Sirius… um…" Harry's throat felt tight, but Sirius seemed to know what Harry meant when he leaned across the boat to hug Sirius quickly but tightly.

Not a moment later, the boat hit the shore of the cave, a small hole high up being the only entrance inside, too small for a person. From inside the cavern, they could see a faint, sickly green glow. Disembarking from the vessel quickly, Sirius sent the boat back quickly, and Kreacher explained and Sirius would need to cut his arm and smear his blood on the wall to get inside, a detail he had helpfully forgotten until now. Harry tried to convince Sirius that he should do it, but after his speech, he seemed more determined than ever to be the adult in the situation. Harry watched as Sirius pulled out a silver blade from a pocket on his cut, lifted in the air, and brought it down on his arm, blood spurting onto the black stone. The mouth of the cave, previously a small hole, too small for anyone but the house-elves to fit through, now opened into a wide entrance. Once the others had arrived, he wasted no time in getting Kreacher to lead them straight to the lake inside the cave. The water itself seemed sinister and foreboding to Harry, but he shrugged his cloak off and pulled the jar of Gillyweed out of Hermione's bag anyway.

"Do you parents know about all the shit you get up to with Harry and I?" Ron asked conversationally.

"To them, I am nothing more than a very well behaved and intelligent student, whose most adventurous exports happen when the staircases move in between classes." Hermione replied coolly, and Ron snorted. Sirius, without even asking, took the spare bundle of Gillyweed.

"Gross." He said, squishing it between his fingers. "Do you just… eat it?"

"Pretty much." Harry said, sticking his wand in his shoe as he took a few joke items for good measure, chewing the disgusting plant quickly. Sirius followed suit, and Harry turned to him.

"Be ready to get in the water, you're not going to be able to breathe otherwise in a second."

"Alright." Sirius said, taking one last look at Remus. Sirius did the same with Ron and Hermione before steeling himself and diving into the icy water.

Instantly, hands grabbed at his clothes, limbs and hair, trying to drag him down into the sea. Harry struggled against the attacking bodies at first, until he realized that they were pulling him to a specific spot.

One with a glowing, person-sized pod near it.

Harry looked over at Sirius, who had come to a similar conclusion, and who too had stopped struggling. They were dragged down to the bottom of the water, black rocks underneath them, and just before they touched the ground, Harry and Sirius whipped their wands out and and cast jets of boiling water at the Inferi, who immediately released them. Sirius gestured got Harry to get to the pod, which he wasted no time in doing. With another few jets of water, the pod was split open.

And there, in a state similar to the one Ron and Hermione were under during the Second Task, was Regulus Black.

Harry grabbed a fistful of Regulus's robes, using his webbed feet to kick upwards past the Inferi and to the surface. Remus and Ron immediately pulled Regulus and then tried to get Harry out, but he dove back under to grab Sirius, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sheer number of corpses surrounding him. Harry grabbed his arm, and together they swam up, climbing out of the water and scrambling over to the others. Behind them, the Inferi dragged themselves out of the water, and Remus shot a powerful jet of fire at them as Kreacher Apperated away with Sirius, Regulus, and Harry. Right as they left, Harry saw Dobby grab Ron, Hermione and Lupin.

They dropped back into the kitchen, soaking wet and coughing violently, spitting water on the floor. It took a few seconds of overwhelming noise for Harry to realize that everyone was awake and demanding answers. Lupin was trying to calm Mr. and Mrs. Weasley down, Dumbledore looked entirely shocked, and Bill, Cedric, and the others just looked slightly horrified at the scene before them.

Harry looked down at Regulus, who was finally opening his eyes and coughing up water as well. Kreacher was attempting to assist him, apologizing frantically and feverishly all the while. Regulus held up a hand, and looked around the room, until his eyes landed on-

" _Sirius?!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Regulus, stage left!


	9. Ohhhhh baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa's middle name, which I have as "Cygni" here, is the name of a star in the Cygnus, or Swan, constellation. Cygnus is also the name of Narcissa's father, so I thought it was fitting

_August 1st, 2015_

Andromeda held a small ball of light up to her nephew's eyes, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over her from the familiar action and near similar scene that had taken place in the kitchen only two weeks prior. Narcissa stood at her shoulder, hands clasped tightly behind her as she tried to hold her composure in front of the rest of the house. Her gaze kept flickering over to Regulus, shock visible in her eyes, which Andromeda understood completely. Their cousin, once thought dead and lost to war, stood in front of them now, not a day older than eighteen and with the same look of shock hidden less skillfully on his face.

Draco, meanwhile, was glaring half-heartedly at his classmates, which would've been more intimidating if he had not just lost over a pint of blood and was trying not to faint. Remus was a short distance away, carefully mixing ground Dittany root, moonflower juice and powdered silver into a paste to seal the bite on his arm. It was a nasty wound, a mess of shredded skin, muscle and bone. When Remus was finished, and tried to apply the paste, Draco wretched his arm out of Andromeda's grip, sneering, and _oh,_ there was Lucius Malfoy's influence and genes sketched into every hair on his head and every line on his face.

"Don't touch me, _beast."_ Draco snarled, eyes still half clouded over from blood loss. Remus, to his credit, just handed the bowl to Andromeda and backed off, dark circles under his eyes, skin paler than usual. Draco's words, while ones that he'd probably heard multiple times before, did _not_ sit well with almost everyone else.

"Funny you call Lupin a " _beast"_ when now, you could be called one too, Malfoy." Ginny jeered almost immediately after Draco had spoken, arms crossed. Even with a terrible case of bedhead and in only a sports bra and shorts, she still managed to be leagues more intimidating than Draco currently was.

"Ginny, please," Remus held up his hand in a placating manner, voice echoing the tired look on his face and in his eyes. Andromeda was three seconds away from ordering him to go back to bed, Healer's instincts screaming at her. "It's fine."

"No it's _not."_ Ginny insisted, pointing at Narcissa and Draco. "If what Malfoy and his Mum say is true, then Malfoy at the _very_ least is going to be stuck here, with us and with _you_ until term starts. Which means we gotta lay down some ground rules. And rule number _one-"_ Ginny held up a finger, marching barefoot over to Draco until they were nearly nose-to-nose. "No comments, no quips and no _'jokes'_ about blood status or 'being' statuses. Got it?"

"Fuck off, Weaslette." Draco sneered, trying to reach forward and grab Ginny, presumably to strangle her. While Andromeda had no doubt that Ginny could handle herself (for she did go to school with Molly, and one does not share several classes for a number of years with Molly Weasley nee Prewett without learning of her infamous temper) it would not do to have her patient in a fight when he could hardly stand, as the Blood Replenishing Potion was only just starting to kick in.

"Draco, Ginerva, _sit."_ She barked, and almost had to bite back a laugh as Sirius, Regulus, and Narcissa all stood straighter. If the situation wasn't so grim, she may not have held back at all. However, as it was, it would not do to appear to try and make light of so heavy and dark a thing to have happened

Carefully, she dipped a clean cloth in a bowl of Madame Lavender's painless, antiseptic cleaning potion, wiping away dirt, blood, and remaining spittle from Greyback's bite. Draco flinched slightly, but made no other indication that it hurt.

Of course not. He was a Black _and_ a Malfoy. He was _bred_ to not show fear.

But it was there now, in his eyes, as Andromeda applied the paste to his bite, watching as the wound started to cauterize before her eyes, wrapping his arm tightly in bandages and then putting it in a sling. It was all she could do, as werewolf bites, after all, were notorious for being one of the most difficult things to treat for a Healer. He would bear that scar, and any others he collected, for the rest of his life.

"Are you done now?" Narcissa's prim voice did not waver, but Andromeda could still sense the hint of fear and worry in her tone.

"Yes… The paste will need another round of application in three hours time, and another Blood Replenishing Potion should be taken as well, but yes."

"Good." Narcissa turned to Sirius, hands still clasped together. "Cousin, if you could show us our rooms. The usual, if you please."

Sirius snorted, shaking his head. "No can do, Narcissa-boo. The only rooms you and the little ferret will get are ones that have already been cleaned out, unless you fancy bedding with Doxies and bedbugs. I'm afraid the more... _extravagant_ rooms aren't on our priority list at the moment."

Narcissa turned her nose up, staring Sirius down. Sirius, to his credit, glared back, no trace of intimidation on his face. "You will, of course, _make_ them a priority then. I will not allow myself or my son to sleep in the _common_ guest rooms during the duration of our stay here. It would be entirely unhospitable otherwise."

Sirius laughed again, a smirk on his face now as he twirled his wand between his fingers. A threat, a warning, a promise. "Funny you say that not being provided a luxurious, five star treatment at your every beck and call is what you consider to be 'unhospitable' when I could've just shut the damn door in your face. Neither you or your son are Marked, true, but you still pose a threat nonetheless. I've allowed you into _my_ home, called for the best Healer in Britain to treat your son, and I'm allowing you to stay, provided you follow the rules we set for you. I'm being _plenty_ hospitable to you. We're at war now, even if it isn't official, and _you're_ technically the enemy, even if you claim blood ties." 

Sirius strolled up to Narcissa until they were a mirror of Ginny and Draco's positions only a few minutes ago, an inch apart from the same height. "Get used to the 'rough' treatment, _cousin,_ because I _promise_ you, it could be so, _so_ much worse."

The man that stood now, looking at Narcissa with steel and fire in his eyes and voice, was the one Andromeda associated with the wanted posters of a deranged man the entire Wizarding World had believed murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

In other words, she needed to step in before someone ended up dead, or worse. So, so much worse.

"Sirius Orion and Narcissa Cygni, I swear by the blood and power of Merlin and Salazar themselves, if you two do not sit down and stay silent, Gods and Magic willing, _I will make you._ Am I clear?"

Once again, Sirius and Narcissa hastened to obey, though not without venomous looks of their own. 

Good. She would've been disappointed otherwise. 

Now that _that_ particular issue had been put to rest, or at least to the side for now, she was able to pack up her things. Andromeda had a shift in- blast. Less than ten minutes. She'd be cutting it close today, but exceptions must be made in times of crisis, and this certainly counted as such. 

"Now, Narcissa… I trust you have no more surprises for me?"

Narcissa looked uncomfortable at the question.

 _Narcissa_ looked _uncomfortable._ It was like Bella being sane. Or perhaps, herself having a normal life. It just didn't _happen._

"Cissy…" She began, knowing nothing could crack her sister quite like that nickname, and Narcissa spun on her heel, venom in her voice, and hissed "Leeny!"

With a small _*pop!*_ a house-elf appeared, dressed in a light blue towel tied like a toga. She had bulbous watery grey eyes, big, pointy ears, and a round nose that touched the floor as she bowed.

"What can Leeny do for Miss?" She said in a squeaky voice common for a house-elf. Narcissa looked uncomfortable still as she spoke.

"Bring me… bring me Lyra, Leeny. And make it quick, mind you. I haven't the time to wait for things to happen _slowly._ "

Leeny bowed low again, and Disapperated away. Draco looked curious, which Andromeda decided to cautiously take as a good sign.

Until Leeny reappeared with a _baby._

Well, closer to a toddler, really. The child had her mother's bright blue eyes and blonde hair, which had been tied back with a green ribbon. A decorative lace dress and black shoes clothed the child, and Andromeda was slightly mollified to see that the child appeared to be happy and well fed, at least.

Still.

 _Shit._ Andromeda thought, watching the toddler observe her surroundings with a proud grin that displayed several teeth. _Narcissa has been keeping_ **_secrets._ **

With a practiced, fluid motion Andromeda did not expect from her sister, Narcissa bent down and gathered the child into her arms, much to the babbling delight of the little girl. With sharp, neat steps, as if making up for the lack of control she had over most everything else about the situation, she walked over to Draco and placed the child in his lap.

"Your sister." She said, in response to his look of confusion, which quickly turned into one of shock and blankness.

"... Sister?" He finally said, and the room split between cooing, confused muttering and questioning looks, and outright demands for an explanation. Narcissa held up a hand, and everyone fell silent.

"Lyra was… unexpected." She began, and Andromeda was damned if that couldn't be taken in more than one way. "I did not tell Lucius because my personal Healer told me to expect my child to not be born, or to be a stillborn. My health and past history indicated that it was not enough to be able to allow me to bear a child once again.

He then informed me the best route would be a potion that would abort the child. And I… went to a Name Seer beforehand. I wanted my child to at least have a name in death."

That was… something. Surprisingly mature of Narcissa, certainly. Andromeda almost didn't think her capable of such a thing. But her Ted, always thinking the best of others, might've.

"However… I was informed that there was a chance, however slim, that my child would survive until birth. And if she did… she would live a long life.

By the time I had realized she would indeed live to be born, it was too late to announce the pregnancy without arousing much suspicion. So I kept it to myself, using spells to hide any signs, and then hired a house-elf to take care of Lyra, who was placed in a near forgotten vacation home in Italy." Narcissa ran a hand over Lyra's curls once. "And she has been there ever since."

"So you're still faithful to Father?" Draco asked, and the look on Narcissa's face could've killed Voldemort himself. Andromeda wished _dearly_ for a camera.

"Yes, Draco. Of all the questions I expected you to ask… well, I did expect it. But still."

Draco, to his credit, looked slightly ashamed at those words. Narcissa always had a way with words, after all. 

"How old is the child?" Andromeda asked, now waving her wand over her niece, casting a simple diagnostic's spell. She had a _niece._ And a werewolf for a nephew. Would wonders ever cease.

Narcissa spoke quietly, almost- _almost-_ smiling as Lyra gurgled out an approximation of 'mama'. "Lyra Holly was born on the twenty-fifth of December two years ago. She is nineteen months of age. And I wish for her to stay here, and to know her brother...and extended family."

"Just say Christmas, _Cissy._ " Sirius said, who looked like the holiday in question had come early. Molly, who was apparently summoned by the presence of children, slipped into the room, took one look at the little girl, and was instantly in love. Andromeda, who this point _really_ needed to leave for her shift, waved her wand to turn her plain black day robes into her lime green Healer ones and grabbed her bag. 

"Cedric, remember to take your potions, and Draco, remember to take yours. Lyra is perfectly healthy, and I will return here after my shift at St. Mungo's ends. Do _not_ burn the house down or kill anyone in my absence. I will see you soon." 

Finally- _finally-_ Andromeda grabbed a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"St. Mungo's!" She cried, and had an unfortunate feeling that today was most definitely going to be one of _those_ days.

No matter. She'd just stock up on Headache Potions. And Dreamless Sleep. And Dittany. And healing supplies in general.

Yes, today was going to be a long day indeed. She just hoped her Ted would fare better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my doggo's birthday! She is four and I baked her a cake. So in celebration of her birthday, I have given this to you all. I hope you enjoyed it!


	10. There's Just No Time to Die

_August 7th, 2015_

Harry could tell that life with three Malfoys and Sirius's brother was going to be weird and unpredictable. He was just  _ wildly _ unprepared for  _ how  _ weird it would be.

For example, it had been agreed on by the occupants of the house that Lyra was off-limits for anything other than looking at from a distance, courtesy of one Narcissa Cygni Malfoy. Although that rule had gone out the window surprisingly fast, and purely to watch a particularly interesting vein in Malfoy's forehead throb. Such as now.

"That's  _ not _ how you hold a kid, Malfoy." Bill gleefully informed him during lunch, snatching the child in question out of his arms and demonstrating how. Lyra looked delighted to meet a new person and to get more attention, and Bill looked equally enamored with her, which only served to make a very pissed off Malfoy even  _ more _ pissed off. Leeny, who had been trying to show Malfoy how to properly interact with his younger sister, looked delighted as Bill took over to explain in detail everything he was doing wrong.

Another odd thing was that, while Regulus had been confirmed to be most definitely  _ alive,  _ and probably  _ could  _ contribute to the Order, his terms for cooperation in destroying Voldemort's locket were as followed-

"You will not allow anyone-  _ anyone- _ else to know of my existence,  _ least _ of all Albus Dumbledore. But I want information on your Order's proceedings in exchange for information on the Death Eaters, and for breaking this wretched locket."

Strange.

Less strange, somehow, was Fleur coming to visit for a day to help out and attend her first Order meeting later during the day. She too fawned over Lyra, singing French lullabies to her, and Harry was left to wonder how every single person in the house had gone completely baby-crazy. Even Ginny, who never struck Harry as a mothering type, tried to teach Lyra swear words in a sickly sweet voice, which led to some  _ very  _ awkward talks/screaming matches and unnecessary rules about proper conduct around a child and so forth. Even  _ Snape _ didn't have anything bad to say about her, and Snape had something bad to say about  _ everyone. _ Harry didn't know if it was because he was afraid of Malfoy's mum or respected her, but either way, it was entirely unnerving.

Somehow, Harry found himself watching Lyra while he organized books. How, he had absolutely no idea. He wasn't  _ bad _ with babies per say, so long as neither of them had to interact for longer than a few minutes at a time.

Currently, Lyra was engaged in what Harry assumed to be her favorite activity number four: 'chewing on things that should not be chewed on'. In a house like this, especially, that went from 'somewhat gross' to 'ingesting poison is all but a given at this point.' Harry, who was not particularly interested in a patented 'Narcissa Malfoy Lecture', picked Lyra up and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, pulling the bits of wood she'd scraped off a chair leg out of her mouth cautiously. Those teeth were small but sharp, and they  _ hurt _ , he found out the hard way.

"Alright," Harry said, because this was just getting ridiculous at this point. "How about we go for a ride?"

Lyra just clapped her hands and squealed. Harry tried very hard to not find it cute.

( _ Really. _ He did. It just wouldn't do to be wrapped around the little finger of his nemesis's sister, no matter how cute her smile or adorable her attempt at his name was.)

Ten minutes later, Harry was on his trusty Firebolt, toddler securely holding onto the handle.

"And  _ then," _ Harry said patiently, ignoring the pain of Lyra pulling at his hair as they zoomed lazily around the room. "There's the Seeker. That's my position, and it's the most important, because until I catch the Snitch, the game continues on."

Malfoy had wandered into the room at some point, arm in a blue sling and dark circles under his eyes, but Harry knew for a fact his mother had sent him up to sleep. He had no intention of keeping  _ Malfo _ y of all people out of trouble, and continued explaining Quidditch to Lyra as he shelved some more books. Eight feet in the air. Magic was  _ wonderful. _

"Potter, just  _ who  _ are you- GET DOWN FROM THERE, ARE YOU MAD?"

Malfoy, Harry had discovered, was  _ jealous  _ of his sister and the attention she got. And even more so that he was explaining Quidditch to her, when  _ he  _ had wanted to do it, as he very loudly explained to Harry via crude hand gestures and even cruder words that Harry just  _ knew  _ his mother would scrub his mouth out for.

It was, in a way, absolutely  _ delightful. _ Harry had very quickly changed his mind in light of this new development and would personally coddle Lyra forever if it meant seeing Malfoy go from zero to a hundred faster than you could say 'Chocolate Frog'. Regulus, who Harry got the impression that he was the sort of person who'd rather be left out of drama unless it benefited him, just levitated Lyra into Malfoy's arms.

Prat.

(He was still holding her awkwardly and off too.)

(As Hermione would say,  _ honestly.) _

The day only got weirder from there, as Narcissa continuously hounded Sirius on things like 'proper conduct', 'state of affairs' and such, Regulus quietly encouraging her and Malforly watching in amusement. Harry, who was very good at telling when people were about to deck someone or throw things thanks to years at the Dursleys, brought Sirius into an old room where basically everything needed to be destroyed and rid of. Which, of course, prompted a wonderful two hours of setting things on fire, yelling, and blowing other things up in the name of helpfulness. 

And then he got sent back to the Dursleys.

Life really sucked sometimes.

"Well, not for long." Lupin tried to offer reassuringly as Harry shouldered a bag with some 'necessities', a letter from Fudge crumpled in his hand. "The Minister, er, you know, has a reputation to keep up. So he's going to be… checking up on you."

"Right." Harry said dejectedly, listening to Ginny and the twins singing a hilariously raunchy song as they scrubbed out a bedroom, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Weasley and Narcissa. Fleur, weirdly enough, was singing along in her accented voice, Bill looking as if he had been trampled by a Hungarian Horntail as he tried and failed to keep his sibling under control while still keeping his gaze almost entirely on Fleur, awestruck.

He  _ really _ did not want to leave. Even if it was only for a little while. The dusty halls, killer desks, and screaming portraits and people felt more like home and family to him than Number 4 or the Dursleys ever did. Lupin seemed to notice this, and tried to give Harry an awkward half-hug. Harry, while he would never admit so aloud, greatly appreciated the gesture. He wished Sirius was down here too, but he was trying to help Regulus break the locket, if the muffled sounds of explosions were anything to go by.

Or they were dueling again. They did that a lot, Harry noticed. Normal conversations between the two brothers ended in screaming matches and spells thrown, more often than not. Harry was learning some particularly interesting spells from them, at least.

"It's bollocks, innit." Ron said from behind Harry, who jumped away from Lupin's side. "One week the Minister's talking shit about you, next, he's reassuring the public that you're fine. He's nearly as batshit as Sirius's mum, mate." He finished his declaration by handing Harry a Chocolate Frog, which he accepted and nibbled at gratefully.

"I've long since learned that trying to discern the going-ons inside the mind of someone in a high position of power brings more headaches and sleepless nights than it's worth." Lupin said helpfully, except it was not helpful at all and only made Harry even  _ more  _ peeved. 

Point to Lupin for trying, though.

"Right then," Lupin turned to Harry, and offered him his arm. "Ready?"

Harry nodded, taking his arm. Ron patted him on his shoulder and stepped back as Lupin Apperated them to the park in Magnolia Crescent. In the light of the setting sun, the whole street was bathed in a gold glow. Just a short walk from here was Number 4, a walk Harry trudged like a soldier on the front lines of a battlefield.

Lupin gave him an odd look, stopped him, then steadied him.

"Remember, it's only a few hours, and you have my number. If, for  _ any _ reason at all, you feel unsafe,  _ call me  _ and one of us will come out and hide under an Invisibility Cloak or something to make sure you're alright."

"Okay." Harry said, unsure of where the lump in his throat had come from. Lupin nodded again, walking more in pace with Harry, slowing his long strides down considerably. It was another awkwardly appreciated gesture. Privet Drive came into sight a few minutes later, and with a small sigh, Harry walked up to the door and rang the bell. 

Aunt Petunia's heels were heard on the tiled floors, louder and louder until-

"Hello th-  _ you." _ She spat, looking at Harry with the sort of disgust appropriate for finding hippogriff shit on the bottom of a shoe. Harry,to his credit, just straightened his shoulders. From behind him, Lupin said in a pleasant tone- "It would be best if you let us in, Petunia, if you want an explanation. I'm afraid there's some… matters we have to discuss, and not much time to discuss them."

Aunt Petunia glared at Lupin so fiercely that Harry wanted to punch her in her overly rogued cheeks.

"That other one-  _ Dumbledore- _ was already here to give me a  _ lecture, _ and I will not hear of another from- from  _ your sort. _ " She hissed, trying to shut the door on them.

Oh, how unfortunate that Harry's foot was blocking it. Such a shame indeed.

Lupin smiled, and Harry knew that one. The smile that said that he was not a man to be messed with, no matter how nice he may seem.

Aunt Petunia blanched.  _ Score. _

Inside was still the same as ever, Uncle Vernon sitting in an armchair in front of the television, which was on a football game. He had a plate of cookies on one arm and several bottles of pop and beer on the coffee table on his side. Aunt Petunia cleared her throat, and Uncle Vernon whirled around, face puckering in anger as he laid eyes on Harry.

"You!" He roared, clamoring to his feet and walking over to Harry. Lupin swiftly stood in front of Harry, blocking Uncle Vernon from being able to look at him, and Uncle Vernon looked, somehow, even angrier, but when faced with a man who was covered in scars, very tall, and had a light wand pointed at his face, he wisely did not make any further attempts to harm or shout at Harry. Yet.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Lupin suggested, the same smile he gave Aunt Petunia still on his face. It was, Harry realized, very wolfish. Fitting.

Aunt Petunia huffed, but with Lupin's wand still out, there wasn't much she could do. Lupin starred Harry onto the couch, sitting next to him. Aunt Petunia sat primly on the armchair adjacent to Uncle Vernon's and Lupin got right down to business.

"So, I understand that you may have a few questions about our return here-" Lupin began, but Uncle Vernon cut him off.

"A few- a  _ few  _ questions?! You sir, have a lot of nerve, coming into  _ my  _ house, threatening  _ my  _ wife  _ and  _ myself!" He roared, standing again. Lupin's expression turned flat.

"And  _ you,  _ sir, have a lot of nerve locking your nephew and his possessions away like a dangerous, unwanted creature, instead of a person you should be taking care of." 

If Uncle Vernon was mad before, it was nothing compared to now. His face was a blotchy, purplish red, tiny eyes narrowed into slits. 

"It is  _ none _ of  _ your  _ business how I discipline that little freak. Besides, don't all you backwards, second-rate magicians treat your kids just the same?"

"No we don't, I'm afraid." Lupin replied. "Seeing as how there are laws against child abuse in the Wizarding World. Just like there are laws against child abuse in the Muggle world. Funny how that works, really, that the welfare of all children is something most people care about."

Uncle Vernon sputtered and shouted with rage, ranting spectacularly about the many things the Wizarding World could do with children, and the many things Lupin should do with his wand. Harry and Lupin were quiet throughout the whole thing, and when Uncle Vernon fell silent, Lupin just said, in a calm voice- "Are you finished?"

Harry really,  _ really  _ liked Lupin.

"Because if you are," He continued. "Then I can explain why we're here. We don't have a lot of time, if you recall me saying earlier."

Uncle Vernon looked ready to go on another rant, but Aunt Petunia held up a hand. "Then speak, and be gone. Take the brat with you, like you promised in that stupid letter you cursed to follow me around."

"Charmed, not cursed. The two are not usually mixed up, you know, but it's alright." Harry  _ seriously  _ did not know where Lupin was pulling this passive aggressiveness from, but he was  _ not  _ complaining. Aunt Petunia, like Uncle Vernon, started to sputter with rage, but Lupin plowed on as though he couldn't hear her or her accusations.

"The Minister of Magic is visiting on behalf of the British Wizarding Government and Public, to assure Harry's safety. He will have a protection crew and perhaps a photographer or journalist with him as well. I am telling you this because you know, as well as I, that Harry spends most of his summers here, and with the Wizarding World quickly facing another war, it is in the Minister's best interest to assure the public that, however untrue it may be, the 'Savior' is safe with you."

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were silent, until- 

"What do you  _ mean  _ by  _ another  _ war?!" Aunt Petunia demanded, crossing her arms. "And how is- is the  _ boy _ in  _ any  _ way a- a  _ 'Savior' _ ?!"

Lupin sighed. "I was afraid of this." He said, rubbing his temples with one hand. "Petunia, before her death, how often did you exchange correspondence with Lily?"

"I sent her a Christmas card and a small present every year." She sniffed. "But Lily never spoke of a  _ war _ in her letters or calls."

"She may have been trying to protect you, but I expected Dumbledore to have explained it to you... as it is now though…" Lupin looked up at Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. "The short version of the story is that your sister and her husband, James, were in a resistance group fighting against a supremacist who called himself 'Lord Voldemort.' Voldemort wanted to take over the United Kingdom, and eventually, the world. He and his followers known as 'Death Eaters', killed and tortured hundreds of people during the war, which many speculate to have lasted anywhere from five to fifteen years. Before Harry was born, Lily and James went into hiding, but were betrayed by a close friend of ou- of theirs. Voldemort killed them on Halloween, but Harry managed to survive, though no one knows how. That's why he has that scar on his head, why he has to stay with you for protection, and why he's a Savior. The night Lily and James were murdered was also the night Voldemort vanished, but he's back now. So the Minister is visiting because he's trying to calm the public and because he wants to reassure himself."

"That's a nice story." Aunt Petunia spat, but her pale skin and tight eyes betrayed her inner turmoil. "But how long is the boy staying with us this time? Until his wretched school starts?"

" _ Harry _ only needs to stay with you for a day, no longer." Lupin said, standing up. "And he knows to call me or his godfather if things go wrong."

Lupin placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to mutter into his ear. "Remember, just a quick call or text, someone will come. Okay?"

Harry nodded, and Lupin straightened up, clapping him on the shoulder again, and left. Harry held his bag in his arms for a few moments, becoming sighing at the death glares Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were giving him, and went upstairs to his room.

He was surprised to see that everything was still where he left it- the Quidditch flags were still on the wall, his calendar was still up (he crossed out all the days he could, just to see the number of days until he could go back to Hogwarts dwindle.) Even his bed was still in the same, half made state he left it in. He cleaned up some of his room up, sitting on his bed and sighing again, reading the letter Fudge sent him for the fifth or sixth time.

_ Dear Harry Potter, _

_ Due to the increasing articles and worries from the people I govern, I have taken it upon myself to assure them of your continued safety and support of my actions via a visit to your place of dwelling on the day of August 8th, at 5pm sharp. _

_ Cordially yours, _

_ Cornelius Fudge _

_ Minister of Magic _

Harry practically  _ felt _ the panic that Fudge had to be in, amidst the outcries of many. Mrs. Weasley tried to hide the newspapers, but Sirius, Lupin, and Bill had taken to slipping them to the others. People were rioting in the street, demanding that Voldemort be taken out once again, or worse, that Harry, Cedric, and Dumbledore were lying about the whole thing, just because they wanted to watch the world burn. People were shutting down shops, attacking others in the streets, and there were more than a few rumors of Death Eater attacks. Lupin was right. This wasn't just for the public, this was for Fudge as well.

It was going to be a long twenty four hours.

\---------------

Despite their apparent anger from the day before, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had dressed up in their finest for the Minister. It seemed that they wanted to impress him, even if he  _ was  _ a wizard. Dudley had gone out, probably remembering all too well his last encounters with magic, which bought Harry a few moments of entertainment when Aunt Petunia informed him of the arriving guests. Dudley ran out of the room, one hand clamped over his fat bottom, the other on his mouth. He left the house only a few moments later, and Harry wondered if he used all his athleticism and energy up for the next year.

Harry himself was dressed in a pair of pants from his uniform and a shirt from Ron that had once been Bill's, with a looping image of a pair of bone thin hands passing Galleons back and forth in a mesmerizing manner. He debated on wearing robes, then decided that he one: didn't really give a shit, and would only change if told too, and two: didn't want Aunt Petunia to commit his murder in front of the Minister.

Waiting for five o'clock to arrive was like torture. Harry constantly texted his friends just to keep from doing something stupid, like jumping on his bed on boredom, or getting in a fight with his relatives. As five came closer and closer, even his friends could not reassure him, and he took to pacing his room as the final minutes ticked down.

When the doorbell finally,  _ finally _ rang, Harry jumped up and peered out the curtains. Fudge was there, bowler hat and all. His Auror team consisted of Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and a fourth man Harry didn't know, as well as the same photographer from the TriWizard Tournament and a balding man with a large quill. He heard Aunt Petunia open the door and usher them inside as he bounded down the stairs two at a time, nearly running face-first into Kingsley's chest. Kingsley caught him, quickly put a finger to his lips, and spun him around to face Fudge.

"Ah, Harry m'boy." Fudge said, taking one of Harry's hands in both of his own and shaking it while the photographer took pictures. Harry, for his part, tried to look as neutral and casual as possible. "So good to see you, so good indeed… you, ah, don't mind about all of this, do you?"

"Er… no?" Harry answered, shrugging. "S'fine… and I kinda expected as much anyway."

"Good, good." Fudge said, ushering Harry into a chair distractedly. Tonks winked at Harry and turned her peachy hair into a bright green that matched his eyes. Aunt Petunia gasped, and backed away to the fireplace away from Tonks, while Tonks and Fudge merely laughed.

"Oh, have no fear, m'dear, no fear at all… Auror Tonks here is a Metamorphmagus, you see. She has the rare ability to change her appearance at will. Tonks is here under the tutelage of her mentor, Alastor Moody-" Moody lifted his hat to show his still entirely unnerving eye. "-For some basic fieldwork credit, you know."

Aunt Petunia gave a jerky nod, but made no move to come any closer to Tonks. Harry thought it would be absolutely _hilarious_ to 'introduce' himself to her, extending a hand out with a cheeky smile on his face and exchanging pleasantries. Tonks had the biggest shiteating grin on her face as she played the role of an excited Auror, and Moody looked like he wanted to cuff the both of them with his staff.

So the evening was going great.

As Fudge introduced the journalist- "Henry Whigham, of course, Senior Chef Writer of the  _ Daily Prophet."  _ The photographer- "Gregory Deleon, here, a very detailed orientated chap." A nd the other Auror- "Philip Ecker, a very trustworthy man, you know, a hard and dependable worker." Harry couldn't help but wonder how  _ surreal  _ the whole thing was. The Minister of Magic was in his living room, and he was being interviewed to calm the masses during the beginning of a war. It was very strange, yet somehow mundane almost. 

"Now then," Fudge said, clapping his hands together after he had been pleased with the amount of photos that were taken. (Some of Harry and Fudge, or with his Aunt and Uncle, or of the house in general.) "The interview." 

Fudge sat in an armchair, waving his wand so that a tea set and biscuits appeared on the coffee table. Harry picked up one and nibbled at it. "Er, yeah. The interview."

Fudge spoke again, but Harry couldn't catch his words, as a cold, oppressive darkness swept over the streets outside, and a male yell broke through the evening's quiet. Harry felt clammy all over, and instantly heard a women's scream- his  _ mother's  _ scream.

" _ Dementors." _ Harry breathed, in shock. Already, he could feel them and their effects on him, and he dimly noticed that everyone else had registered their presence as well. Wherever they were, they were close.  _ Very _ close.

"Now, I hardly think that the public has to worry about  _ dementors." _ Fudge chuckled nervously, obviously trying to deny the fact that there were currently  _ dementors _ in Little Whinging, but Harry didn't hear him. He whipped his wand out and pushed past the Aurors, journalist, and photographer and out into the street, where two dementors glided silently over the pavement, the street lights blowing out as they passed them. Dudley was sitting in the middle of the road, having apparently fallen out of fear and shock. Harry didn't waste any time aiming his wand at the dementors, and summoned up the happiest memories he could- of playing Quidditch with the Weasleys, of joking around Gryffindor Tower late at night, of nearly every moment at Grimmauld Place with Sirius.

_ "Expecto Patronum!" _ He shouted, and his silvery stag burst out of his wand and charged antlers first at the dementors,who parted and moved back down the street.

"Get up!" He roared at his cousin, running up to him and grabbing him by the arm, while still directing his stag to keep the dementors at bay. Dudley seemed frozen as Harry attempted to drag him to his feet. Behind him, he heard three voices cry- " _ Expecto Patronum!" _ just as he had moments ago, and a hare, a lynx, and an eagle soared past him, joining his stag. The dementors fled under the assault, and Harry started at their fleeing forms, breathing hard.

What the  _ hell  _ had happened?

His Patronus cantered over to him, allowing him to place his hand on its head as it bowed. The action alone calmed Harry down very slightly as he recalled Dumbledore's words from two years ago, about his father.

"Thanks, Prongs." Harry muttered, some feeling returning to the hand he petted his Patronus with as it faded away. Moody grabbed Dudley and hauled him to his feet as Tonks and Kingsley guided him back inside, where a rambling Fudge was attempting to soothe a panicking Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. When they saw Dudley however, any progress the Minister had made went swiftly out the window as Aunt Petunia shrieked, immediately hugging Dudley and demanding the Aurors fix him, and Uncle Vernon incurred his wrath on Fudge.

"Here," Kingsley said, handing Harry a cup of tea as he sat down heavily on the ground, feeling drained. Distantly, he heard Dudley puking in the sink as Aunt Petunia and Moody went toe-to-toe in a screaming match, Uncle Vernon attempting to engage in one with Fudge. Harry didn't know what happened over the next couple of minutes as he tried to focus on not passing out, but when he finally came too, Dumbledore was in the living room as well, trying to negotiate peace with Harry's relatives.

"I think," Dumbledore said, in a very calm and controlled manner. "It would be best for all of you to go to a safehouse, at least until the summer is over."

"But what about Vernon's job?" Aunt Petunia questioned, glaring daggers at Dumbledore, Moody, Fudge… basically everyone she could. "He works a  _ very _ important job you know, and he's in the middle of a very busy time right now."

"Hmmm…" Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Is there perhaps a relative you can stay with, Vernon?"

"... Marge, my sister." Uncle Vernon grunted, finally, under the piercing gaze of Dumbledore,who nodded. "But she only has room for one person, damn you! Where will my wife and son go? Huh?"

"If I may, I have a suggestion." Dumbledore said, as calm as ever. Harry felt like he was watching a train wreck in slow motion with every word spoken. "You will stay with your sister, to continue your job, while Petunia and Dudley go to a safehouse until September first. I assure you, there will be no safer place in the world for them, and they will be able to call you whenever you like."

Harry was absolutely sure now that this  _ had  _ to be a nightmare. First dementors, now his teacher negotiating with his relatives.

Kingsley was tugging at his arm, and Harry stood, swaying only slightly. Tonks came out of his room holding his bag, and Fudge tried to help Dumbledore in soothing Harry's relatives while trying to get Harry to answer a few questions for him, which he was in no mood to do.

"Come along now, I'm going to take you somewhere safe." Kingsley said, and Harry had a brief moment of panic before remembering Grimmauld Place. He grasped Kingsley's arm as he Apperated them into the entrance hall, where Sirius was just coming out of the kitchen. He took one look at Harry and immediately ran over, cupping his face in his hands, eyes filled with worry.

"Harry! Godric… are you alright? What happened?" He demanded, looking at Kingsley.

"Dementors." Kingsley replied, sounding weary. "Two. I will need to report back to Fudge, to sort this all out. Dumbledore will be around as soon as he can, and I leave Harry in your hands." And with that, he turned on his heel and was gone. Sirous looked even more worried, and guided Harry into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. Dinner must've almost been done, because most everyone was in the room, and they all wanted answers from Harry. Luckily, Sirius quickly stepped in and informed them that Dumbledore would be the one explaining everything, and that Harry needed  _ rest, _ not hounding. It was strange to hear his godfather acting, well.. like Mrs. Weasley, if he was being honest, but it certainly wasn't a  _ bad  _ strange. Malfoy taunted him, as usual, which was somehow comforting, even more so when a customary argument broke out over the table. Some things, Harry mused as he gave bits and pieces of his point of events to those who would listen, would never change.

Dumbledore turned up about half an hour later, as Harry was nursing a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of stew. He quickly looked up at the Headmaster, feeling angered and calmed at his appearance at the same time.

And Aunt Petunia and Dudley were right behind him.

Harry internally sighed, and wished half-heartedly that the dementors had gotten him after all.

This was going to be a  _ very _ long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is where shit REALLY starts hitting the fan, and things start getting more serious. I really want to go in depth of all the things that might happen in a Wizarding war, and I'm excited for some of the POV's I want to do. I might even give Voldemort the limelight for a bit, but what do you guys think?


	11. Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been posted in celebration of the full moon and Remus Lupin's birthday :)

_ August 10th, 2015 _

Harry thought he knew what nightmares were made of. That was  _ before _ he was forced to spend several weeks under the same roof with the Malfoys and Dursleys.

Narcissa, Mrs. Weasley and Aunt Petunia had gotten in a three-way argument from the moment they met over everything from how to raise children, the appropriate uses of magic, underage or no, what  _ morals _ a child should have, and worse of all, their opinion of  _ him. _ Narcissa was decisively neutral on him after Lyra decided that he was her favorite person ever when he took her up on his Firebolt, Aunt Petunia hated him as usual and was  _ very _ vocal about it, and Mrs. Weasley would adopt Harry if she had it her way. Sirius, of course, hated anyone who hated Harry, so he took up arms against Aunt Petunia too. Quite literally, as he challenged her to a duel after a particularly violent lunch. 

They reached a stalemate. Aunt Petunia was  _ scary _ with knives.

Dudley, who was at first scared shitless at having to live in a house full of wizards, quickly calmed down and then got in a fight after Malfoy taunted him for his cowardice, and  _ then _ proceeded to throw the tantrum of the century when he found out there was no wi-fi, which lead to Aunt Petunia getting criticized  _ heavily _ for her parenting tactics while trying to calm Dudley down with the promise of a new TV, game console, and threatening others for 'depriving her child of necessities'. As Dudley threw plates at anyone who got too close to him and threatened to kill them, Ron turned to Harry with a horrified look on his face.

"Mate, I- I can't believe your relatives. Not one bit."

Hermione, who was watching his relatives with a disapproving glare that would've made Professor Mcgonagall proud, nodded in agreement.

"Neither can I." Harry muttered, crossing his arms as he watched the spectacle go down. There was quite a bit of yelling and broken objects involved, and at one point Hermione and Fleur ganged up to yell at Aunt Petunia in rapid French, who fired back nearly as fast. Harry didn't even  _ know _ that Hermione and Aunt Petunia knew French.

Further reiterating the fact that his Aunt was  _ terrifying _ . 

While the tantrums and yelling were normal, standard Dudley behavior (to Harry and his Aunt, at least) what was  _ not _ normal was the new, odd way he'd been acting ever since Harry had saved him from the dementors.

For instance, if Malfoy said something snide and nasty about Harry, his relations, how weak he was, or anything of the sort, well… Dudley had been oddly quick to come to his- defense? And as much as Malfoy claimed to not be intimidated by an 'overweight, spoiled pig of a Muggle' it was clear that magic or no, being threatened by a kid who could toss a China cabinet across a room and still have the strength and energy to do the same with a table,  _ another _ cabinet, and a sofa was someone that you avoided, if you could. Or if you were Malfoy.

It was very confusing, even more so when Aunt Petunia tried to discourage it and  _ Dudley kept doing it anyways. _

After Malfoy has called Harry a 'troll-headed idiot with the backbone of a chocolate eclair', Dudley punched him in the face, which meant that Narcissa, who  _ very _ unfortunately seen it, tried to throw a nasty, sickly yellow curse at Dudley, and it was only due to the quickness of Harry's " _ Expelliarmus!"  _ that kept Dudley from God knew what. Even while holding a baby, Narcissa Malfoy was still an extraordinary terrifying woman.

But seeing Malfoy with a black eye  _ again  _ had been  _ satisfying. _

"Okay," Harry said, pulling Dudley to the side and looking up at him. "This is  _ ridiculous.  _ Just  _ why _ do you keep- keep  _ defending  _ me? I can handle myself, you know. I've survived like... four murder attempts over the course of my life. I've basically come to expect it every year now."

Dudley looked shocked at this information, and Harry realized that one: he never really talked about the sorts of situations that happened at Hogwarts with his relatives, due to their hatred of all things magic, and two: most people did not handle attempts on their life by their parents murderer as casually as he did. Well, not  _ casually. _

But still.

Dudley frowned, crossing his arms and thinking. It still looked like long, hard work. Finally, he looked at Harry again. 

"... You saved my life. The crazy old man and the short one with the weird hat said that I would've been dead or good as if you hadn't done… y'know, your- your freaky thing."

"You can say magic, Dudley. Everyone- like,  _ everyone _ here save for you and your mum has it, you know."

Again, Dudley looked shocked, though Harry didn't know how he didn't notice it before.

"You- You- You're-"

"Lying?" Harry said, except he wasn't, so he said as much. "This house has been owned by my godfather's family for generations. It's got cursed objects galore, and that huge curtain in the front hall isn't for a window, it's for a screaming portrait of Sirius's mum."

Dudley looked faint, and Harry plowed on, because it was better to get it all out of the way now.

(He also may or may not enjoy the feeling of having knowledge Dudley didn't, no matter how petty that was.)

"There's severed heads of house-elves on the walls too, which is another reason why you're not allowed in the front hall, and an  _ alive  _ house-elf who's gone off the walls with madness. The desks act like horses and kick if you get too close, and some of the doorknobs will bite your hands-" Harry grabbed his own hand, to add emphasis. "-clean off. Oh, and that's not even getting into the bathroom of doom."

Dudley ran off.

(Harry tried really,  _ really  _ hard not to feel somewhat pleased.)

(Really, he did.)

\---------------

With  _ twenty  _ people and seven pets, more or less living under the same roof, with more people popping in and out as they pleased, in full retrospective, the amount of fights and squabbles that broke out should've been expected.

But it was not. It was most  _ definitely  _ not.

Ron and his siblings  _ constantly  _ argued over this and that, pausing only to gang up on another, as nothing brought two siblings together like the mutual need to take down a third. At one point, Ginny threw Ron over the staircase banister, only for Fred and George to prank her by dying her hair a hideous orange in retaliation for Ron's broken arm. Ginny, in turn, covered them  _ all  _ in a green goop that took two days to come off, much to the amusement of Malfoy.

Cedric and Regulus seemed to adapt Harry's method of living, and tried to make themselves as scarce as possible. They didn't always succeed, however, but they was definitely more successful than Harry was. Sirius was of the option that he needed to spend as much time around Harry as possible, which was both wonderful and terrible, as it left no room for plotting things with Ron and Hermione sometimes. Sirius was great, but also had some frankly terrifying mood swings from his time in Azkaban, and if he wasn't with Harry, he was locked up with Buckbeak, or wandering around in a daze with a bottle of Firewhiskey in hand until Lupin put him upstairs. The wandering became less frequent the longer Harry was there, and the less dark objects remained in the house, but it was still a depressing sight to see.

Lupin, the poor chap, also was the only person who tried (and failed miserably, though through no fault of his own) to keep the peace, though an effort definitely was made, yet not helped by Sirius deliberately and continuously insulting or provoking his brother, cousins, and Aunt Petunia. Aunt Petunia especially, once he found out how she treated Harry. If she told him to clean, Sirius would give him candy and played cards or Gobstones with him. If she sent him to his room, Sirius would spell her door off and then try and rope Harry into pranking every occupant of the house. Once, she tried to make Harry go without dinner for some imagined grievance. The argument that happened left a faint ringing noise in Harry's ears, even two days later.

And then Snape came over.

"Potter," he said curtly, a sneer on his face. Sirius, who was throwing balls of blue paint at the cabinets just to watch Aunt Petunia and Narcissa twitch, whirled around and 'accidentally' splattered paint all over Snape. Lyra, who was sitting in a highchair with a few toys, clapped in approval. She  _ definitely  _ was going to grow up to be a smart one.

Aunt Petunia, who was at the kettle with a cup of tea, looked like she'd seen a particularly aggravating ghost, and then stared at Snape with the sort of venomous glare she saved for Harry. Likewise, Snape reached into his robe pocket, looking ready to murder both Sirius and Aunt Petunia.

Harry, who was watching this all go down, and prepared to disarm anyone if need be (which was looking more and more likely by the minute) tried to stay out of sight. He knew Sirius had a nasty arsenal of spells and curses up his sleeve, and he could  _ definitely  _ assume the same for Snape.

And he  _ really _ didn't want to be in Aunt Petunia's line of fire again.

"Hello Petunia," Snape jeered as he waved his wand in a practiced motion over his robes, effectively removing the paint. "Have you decided once again that magic is something you'd like to have?"

Harry's jaw dropped straight to the floor.

Seriously, he  _ swore _ he could feel the floorboards underneath his chin. Aunt Petunia had  _ liked _ magic once?

Good lord. He expected to hear next that Voldemort's favorite animal was a unicorn.

Then again, considering his first year, well…

Aunt Petunia was still glaring at Snape, looking like she'd swallowed a lemon whole. She stuck her cup down, pointing at Snape accusingly. Harry noticed the knives near her hands and was not reassured in the slightest.

" _ You- _ shut  _ up _ ,  **Sev.** Lily warned me about you, before she died you know. Said you'd joined a gang, and that you kept following her around, and you called her such  _ awful  _ names-" The more murderous Snape looked as she talked, the angrier Aunt Petunia was. "- oh, and that if I  _ ever _ saw you again, I had her full permission to punch you in the face. Not that I needed it, anyway. But it's nice to have."

Snape stood as still as a statue, his words colder than ice. "I would be careful about my next words if I was you,  _ Tuney." _

Harry looked between the two of them. Sirius had stepped back to watch the drama go down, and Narcissa was sitting as primly as ever, sipping tea and reading  _ The Daily Prophet, _ though he knew she too was listening in. 

Harry, who was not nearly as inattentive as his friends and teachers tried to claim, could put two and two together. He knew  _ exactly  _ what kind of rivalry was going on here. He wasn't  _ naïve. _ And the result he came up with, the only conclusion he could draw as to how Aunt Petunia and  _ Snape  _ of all people knew of one another, had  _ nicknames _ for each other and  _ why  _ they hated each other made Harry want to rip his brain out of his head. 

He wished Lockhart had taught him the Memory Erasing charm before he wiped his own memory.

"I know why you hate me, Snape." He said aloud, against his better judgment. He  _ needed  _ to know if it was true. Snape still kept his wand and gaze on Aunt Petunia as he spoke to Harry.

"Oh, do  _ enlighten  _ me, Potter. Have you finally figured out that running headfirst into danger constantly, stealing from and  _ lying _ to me, thinking and acting like you are above the rules and being a general  _ pest _ might make some  _ abhor  _ your presence?"

"Well…" Harry began. "I've truthfully never stolen from you. But I know the  _ real _ reason you hate me." He needed answers. He was probably going to die getting them, but he could at least be assured that Sirius would get revenge for his untimely death.

"And what might  _ that  _ be, Potter?" Snape spat. Sirius looked  _ delighted  _ by how furious Snape was. Narcissa flipped to the next page of the  _ Prophet _ and levitated a few crackers to Lyra. Harry went on, wanting to see how true his theory was and to see the reactions from his Aunt and professor. He felt his anger at the whole of  _ everything _ boil over, and he spoke as quickly as possible.

"You were in love with Aunt Petunia, but she broke your heart, or maybe you broke hers, I'm not entirely sure which yet, I only  _ just _ figured this out, and  _ now _ you have to teach the nephew of the woman who stole and broke your heart all those years ago, and you hate that you know she's out of your reach forever, and Aunt Petunia feels it's too late to return to you, or maybe she just regrets ever being with you in the first place."

The room was silent for a second, just as Lupin walked in. He took one look at everyone and walked out, him and Sirius breaking out into twin fits of laughter at the same time.

Voldemort, Harry realized, probably hated him less than Aunt Petunia and Snape did in that moment, which only cemented his horrifying theory as  _ fact. _

He did the smart thing, and bolted out of the room, Sirius's and Lupin's laughter mixing with Aunt Petunia's and Snape's yells of fury and jets of light Harry had no intention of getting familiar with.

\--------------

Several hours later, Harry was lucky to be alive, and pondered the merits of Firewhiskey. 

It just sounded like something he should have, for moments like this.

Ron and Hermione, who he had confided in as soon as he could, looked like they might agree with Harry's train of thought.

"Just…  _ mate… _ your aunt and fucking  _ Snape?"  _ Ron said incredulously as Hermione lectured him on his language.

"No, no,  **no.** We are  _ not _ talking about them and fucking in the same sentence  _ ever. _ " Harry said firmly, as Regulus popped his head into their room. Harry had forgotten that he was around, to be honest. There was a lot going on, and a  _ lot _ of people to keep track of.

"Why, pray tell, are you three  _ shouting?" _ Regulus said, looking stern and disapproving. He was annoyingly like Percy, in that regard. He was immaculately dressed, long hair tied back from his face with an elegant velvet ribbon, and his robes, while outdated, would impress even Fudge. Harry wondered idly if he would literally have a stroke and die if he put on clothes that were less… stuffy.

"We're not arguing," Harry mumbled, crossing his arms. "Just… loudly talking."

Regulus made a 'go on' gesture with his hand. Harry slowly let out a long breath. "Snape and my aunt were together, we think. And I- no.  _ No. _ I do  _ not _ want to think about this  _ ever. _ "

"Your aunt, the Muggle?" Regulus questioned, and Harry nodded miserably as Ron patted his back. Regulus looked thoughtful. "Huh. I thought he had a thing for Lily. Always following her around, and telling James off for messing with her. But… maybe. He could've been close to her just to get to her sister."

Harry really,  _ really _ needed to learn how to erase his memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I like putting people in one space just for the drama?
> 
> Anyhow, this is the going to be either the second to last or third to last chapter before our protagonists go back to Hogwarts, where they will cause enough mayhem to make any sane person reach for the liquor cabinet XD
> 
> (I'm going to have fun with Umbridge :)
> 
> Also this chapter was inspired by a post I read on tumblr once. I don't know who wrote it or where they are now, but just like the Santa Claus that rode by my house on a motorcycle on Christmas day, they are my hero


	12. Perks of living in a hellhole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG
> 
> I got really sick a few days ago, and I've only just started to recover (no, it's not the Virius-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, don't worry) but I hope you like this chapter! Honestly, I was a little lazy with it, but in the next one, we get Umbridge. And Umbridge... well... you're going to enjoy this ;)

_August 29th, 2015_

Hermione Granger was not known as the brightest witch of her age for nothing. Often times, when faced with many different and difficult problems, she broke them up into reasonable categories to deal with. Like any sane person, this helped greatly in finding a solution or the most probable outcome.

-

Problem: Harry's relatives were  _ awful. _

Solution: Engage in verbal sparring matches over them until they accept that Harry and magic were good, incredible things to have. Give out information on many pros of magic, and refuse to let their comments about Harry be allowed. Luckily, many agreed with her on this front and fought to disallow such negative comments to be voiced, and so it was one less thing to have to  _ constantly  _ worry about.

Acceptable.

-

Problem: Harry had a knack for jumping to conclusions and running into danger without a plan. Ron followed suit in the  _ same manner. _

Solution: Prepare for any scenario she could think of, and a few more besides, just in case.

(And Harry and Ron wondered why she spent so much time in the library.)

( _ Honestly.) _

-

Problem: Phones were useful for communication, but would not work in places like, say, Hogwarts.

Solution: … working on it.

...

Unacceptable. She  _ needed  _ to do better. There was a  _ war _ going on, for Christ's sake.

Maybe Ron's dad would know something that could help? He owned a flying car at one point. That was a non-magical item enchanted and infused with magic. He might know how to combine the two safely and effectively.

This information in mind, she hounded Mr. Weasley one evening after dinner.

"I have a question." She opened with, her notes in one hand, wanting to know what she got right and what else she needed to do. And she  _ would _ get an answer.

"Er…" Mr. Weasley responded eloquently. No matter.

"How can I get the phones to work at Hogwarts? Instant communication, inaccessible by Death Eaters and available to all should be a higher priority, you know."

"Well, yes," Mr. Weasley said. "But you must know that magic and muggle items… they don't really go well together sometimes."

"Harry and Ron drove a flying car that  _ you  _ enchanted onto Hogwarts grounds, where it still remains  _ and _ it's functional." She tilted her head, humming. "So how did you do it?"

Mr. Weasley held up a hand, and went upstairs to get his notes.  _ Score. _

\--------------

Draco was up in his room- well, not  _ his  _ room, just a room that Sirius Black had given him. There was one small window, instead of three large ones, and the whole place smelled faintly of mildew and rot, no matter  _ how _ many charms he did.

No matter. He'd be back at Hogwarts, in an  _ actual _ bedroom, soon enough. That would be one less thing for Mother to fret about. She always worried now, and never stayed at the house for long. Sometimes, he knew, the Dark Lord would call her away. Other times, Father required her presence. 

So taking care of a small child by the name of 'Lyra' fell on him.

She was… something. She was blood, and he could respect that, but she was a troublemaker from the moment Potter got his grubby hands on her and infected her with sheer Gryffindor stupidity. Always wanting to fly, changing the color of objects, running off to hide  _ in a cursed house. _

Currently, however, she was sleeping. Drooling disgustingly on his bedspread, yes, but  _ asleep. _ Draco never liked screaming, and he liked it even less when it came from a child the size of a large book.

Speaking of… well, the tome in his lap was not one Mother would approve of, but he  _ needed _ answers. And since no one would give them to him, he would get them in his own way.

The Black Family Library, for example, was  _ very _ useful for ideas, if outdated. It was so  _ easy  _ to place an owl order when you were a Malfoy heir. And if you had just gone through your first transformation and needed some _answers._

He turned the page, shook himself out of his thoughts, and continued reading.

" _ Werewolves have been noted to not pass their condition through birth- however, no instances of a female werewolf carrying a human child to term has been recorded. Wolf Cubs, another anomaly of werewolves, can only occur if a male and female werewolf mate under the full moon. The result of this extraordinarily rare event (only two recorded instances) will produce wolves with near human-like intelligence." _

That was… odd. How did that even  _ work? _

Draco shook his head again, and read further.

_ "For the full fledged werewolf, a normal full moon will result in the usual transformation: bones break and form into the necessary structure, and muscles and skin elongate, shrink and twist into the body of a wolf, a tail, canine teeth and hair grow, and the werewolf will have darker irises. When a lunar eclipse, or blood moon, occurs, the transformation remains much the same, but gives the already monstrous wolf an even greater thirst for blood and violence, as well as increased strength and stamina. It has been reported that the wolf may retain some part of their human mind without the aide of Wolfsbane, due to the moon being in the Earth's shadow, which makes them all the more dangerous, for they are now on some level aware of their actions. Many packs take part in a blood ritual as the moon rise before their transformation, asking Mother Lupe (the mother of all werewolves, whom they regard as a God, and have even given her a constellation, which the Ministry does not recognize as official) to grant them with the gifts and magicks of the Gods. The Ministry has banned these gatherings and rituals, for they are dangerous and disturbing, and addles an already unstable mind further, but they still continue in secrecy. The penalty for practicing such magicks is death." _

Interesting, if gruesome and barbaric. He should ask Lupin. But he really,  _ really  _ did not want to find out if the man held a grudge towards Draco for getting him sacked two years ago. 

He  _ was  _ a fair teacher though…

Draco glanced at Lyra for a moment, then called Leeny up and ordered her to watch his sister.

Satisfied that she was now safe (Mother had a soft spot for the girl, and as much as Draco…  _ disagreed _ with her existence it would not do to allow the spare to die of stupidity) he tucked the book under his arm, went downstairs and into the kitchen. Weasley's mother was making some pie, and Lupin and Black were seated at the table, reading a newspaper and murmuring in low voices. Gathering his courage, he strolled up to Lupin and dropped ' _ Magical Beasts and Creatures of the World'' _ onto the table with a small  _ thunk! _ and sat on the table next to it as elegantly as he could.

"Tell me about werewolves." Draco said, in his most demanding and convincing voice.

Why was Black laughing. Why was  _ Lupin _ looking like he was  _ trying not to smile. _

Unbelievable.

Lupin cleared his throat, a pleasant and  _ annoying  _ look on his face. "Of course, Draco. What would you like to know?"

Huh. So  _ maybe _ he would help. Maybe. He opened the book and pointed to a section he had been reading before, sighing. "How accurate is the information in this book?"

Lupin read the passage, which was on wolf cubs, and then laughed outright, which only deepened Draco's scowl. Was the answer supposedly obvious? Admittedly, Lupin had a nice laugh  _ but that was not the point _ . With the patience of a saint, he waited until Lupin had calmed down enough to say "No, that's wrong, that's  _ complete  _ rubbish."

"... come again?" Draco asked, confused. Lupin grinned.

"Let me see… I'm not sure you know about human reproduction-"

"Enough." Draco responded curtly, yet eloquently. Lupin continued.

"-But no human woman could  _ ever _ carry wolf cubs in a full term pregnancy. The only way wolf cubs  _ ever  _ happen is when a make werewolf mates with a female wolf during the full moon. The reproductive systems of a human and a wolf are too different to be able to do… whatever it is that that book just described."

Huh. Okay then.

Draco spent the next hour asking every question he could think of, filing the answers away for later. When his Mother came back, he was holding Lyra and trying to convince her that no, quills were not food.

For whatever reason, this made her smile, a rare occurrence nowadays. Strange.

\-------------

The next day and the day after could generously be called 'a lot.' 

But that would be an understatement. Preparation for Hogwarts, after all, would not be complete without its share of chaos. 

First off, Draco had two full moons right before term, with only a day of rest in between that turned into a day of shopping because the letters for books and supplies didn't come in until the 31st, meaning that only a few adults could go out shopping, as the streets were bound to be packed. 

Draco thought himself lucky as his Mother took him out to get fitted for robes, if only to leave the dingy, loud, and crappy house he had to live in, until he saw the line and the sheer amount of  _ people _ in the streets. Loud, smelly, annoying, and  _ very _ inconsiderate people. It was absolute  _ hell _ right after a full moon, and suddenly Draco understood fullywhy Lupin declined to help out with the shopping.

Being a Malfoy had its perks, but Merlin's  _ fucking _ beard was that useless in this moment. A handbag to the stomach later, and Draco vowed to never leave the house again unless necessary.

And  _ then,  _ after getting in several arguments in a row, Draco's trunk got tossed down the stairs more times than he could count. He  _ saw _ , several times, the Weasley twins or the Weaslette go into his room to drag his trunk out, so he did the same to theirs. Clothes, potion ingredients, books, and more combined into a mess on the floors, stairs and railings. Tempers were high, but the trunks flew higher. Weaslette actually got knocked down the stairs at one point, and Draco would've felt more sorry for her if she hadn't set his Slytherin prefect badge on fire.

Then finally,  _ finally _ they were on the Hogwarts Express. He said goodbye to his Mother and Father, accepting her tighter than usual hugs but feeling oddly angry around his Father, like he wanted to hot or scream at him. He resisted the urge, however, then boarded the train, found Crabbe and Goyle and went to the loo to throw up.

Being a werewolf  _ sucked. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione was fun to write, she's very punctual and precise and Draco, on the other hand, is just a little rage monster (who may or may not be figuring out he's not straight)
> 
> Also, I broke... And got a TikTok. :/
> 
> If you're into that, I have all of four (4) videos up under the username phoenyxking7
> 
> Comment down below if you have any suggestions for upcoming chapters. Bonus points if they're for m a x i m u m c h a o s.


	13. I Wonder What It's Like To Have a Boring Life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS MEANT TO BE DONE SO MUCH SOONER, AND I AM SORRY. We've had multiple health scares in my household and I've got a big move coming up, so I've been very busy and stressed, so I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter out this month, since I may not be able to in September/October, but we'll see! Hopefully it will NOT be as long a wait as last time.

" _See you!" Harry called out of the open window as the train began to move, while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny waved beside him. The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly but the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, and then they turned the corner, and Sirius was gone._

_"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said in a worried voice._

_"Oh, lighten up," said Ron. "He hasn't seen daylight in months, poor bloke."_

_"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together. "can't stand around all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later." and he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right._

_The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past and they swayed where they stood._

_"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione._

_Ron and Hermione exchanged looks._

_"Er," said Ron._

_"We're - well - Ron and I are supposed to go into the perfect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly._

_Ron wasn't looking at Harry, he seemed to have become intensely interested in the fingernails on his left hand._

_"Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine."_

_"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," Hermione said quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."_

_"Fine," said Harry again. "Well, I- I might see you later, then."_

_"Yeah, definitely," said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry. "It's a pain having to go down there. I'd rather - but we have to - I'm not Percy." he finished defiantly._

_"I know you're not," said Harry, and he grinned. But as Hermione and Ron dragged their trunks, Crookshanks, and a caged Pigwidgeon towards the engine part of the train, Harry felt an odd sense of loss. He had never traveled on the Hogwarts Express alone._

Ginny bumped his shoulder with her own, shaking him out of his thoughts.

_"Come on," Ginny told him. "if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places."_

_"Right," said Harry, picking up Hedwig's cage with one hand and the handle of his trunk in the other._

"Hullo Harry," a voice between him said, and he and Ginny turned to see Cedric with Cho Chang next to him. Cedric looked around for a moment, before turning back to him and motioning for them to follow. He looked loads healthier than the last time Harry had seen him, less pale but definitely still thinner than the night of the Final Task.

"So-" Harry began, but he was swiftly cut off by Cedric's sharp shaking of his head, and a moment later, when Pansy Parkinson passed them, Harry understood why.

He had something to tell them, something important, and suddenly the small package Sirius had slipped him with a wink and a hurried "just in case" felt a lot heavier in his pocket than it did before. 

As they reached the end of the train, and the last compartment, Cedric frowned.

"Damn it," he muttered, looking inside at the two occupants. "I thought it was empty."

"Don't be daft," Ginny replied, opening the door and stepping inside, lugging her trunk behind her. "Nev and Luna are alright, his Gran is in the Order and Luna can be trusted... Hey Luna. How was your summer?"

The girl, Luna, looked up from her magazine (which was upside down) and at Ginny with wide, pale eyes.

"Hello Ginny," she replied dreamily, scooting over on her seat to make room for the others. "It was good. Daddy and I went hunting for Crumple Horned Snorlacks up in the mountains, you know."

Ginny nodded, dragging her trunk up and swinging it into the rack in a motion that just barely missed Harry's face. "Oh yeah, I remember you writing to me about that… any luck finding them?"

"No," Luna replied, but she didn't seem too upset about it. "But we might have better luck next year. There's supposed to be a cooler summer, which would help draw them out."

Harry glared at Ginny slightly as he placed his trunk on the opposite rack, only _slightly_ emphasizing slow, careful motions and awareness of his surroundings. Cedric hid a smile as he put both his own and Cho's trunk next to his, plopping down on the seat next to Neville, who had an odd plant in his lap. Cho waited until Cedric was settled before sitting on top of his lap. Harry tried to only feel a _little_ jealous at the scene as he leaned against the carriage door, though he honestly couldn't tell if it was Cho or Cedric causing the jealousy.

He was pulled from his thoughts, however, as Cedric cleared his throat. All eyes, including Luna's focused on him.

"... Right, okay, um… as the oldest here.. and the only official member of the Order… I feel like we need to lay down some ground rules and plans for the upcoming year."

Harry and Neville nodded, and Ginny made a noise of agreement as she kicked her feet up into Luna's lap. Cho smiled at Cedric encouragingly. "Go on, darling. Tell them your plans."

Cedric flushed slightly, but continued on. "Right, right… well… I was thinking about how to get information around, since we're all in different houses. Obviously, it'd be suspicious if we all suddenly started hanging out together, and there's always the chance we'll get caught, and not by someone in the Order."

"I have a map of Hogwarts." Harry piped up, causing the attention to be turned onto _him._ "It can track the movements of anyone in the castle, and it shows all the secret passages around the school."

"Blimey Harry, that's… wow. That's really cool." Neville said, looking at Harry with awe. Harry nodded once, slightly uncomfortable with the attention, and motioned for Cedric to continue.

"So, I was thinking… we should look for a good place to meet up, with times as well… and a sort of- of code, in place, so no one else knows what we're talking about." 

Everyone nodded in agreement, just as the twins popped in, Lee Jordan right behind them. With the addition of three new people (none of whom were short or small in the slightest) the compartment was starting to feel cramped, so it was to no one's surprise that Ginny and Luna decided the best way to free up room was to sit on top of the racks- Harry prayed to a God he didn't believe it that the rack stayed screwed to the wall.

"So," Fred exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Did you catch the youngins up on the plans for our _own_ little Order, Diggory dearest?"

Cedric sighed, and Harry could tell he was used to the twins shenanigans from that singular sigh alone. "Yes, Fred, I did… I was just explaining about how we should look for a place and set up a time to meet up at."

"Not the mirror passageway, it had a cavern but that collapsed in on itself a while back."

"And I _doubt_ it was from natural causes." Ginny muttered, but was swiftly silenced by a bundled up robe to the face. Luna threw the robes on the floor and pressed a green flower to Ginny's cheek. 

"It has healing properties." Luna explained dreamily, at the confused looks, and George snorted.

"Trust me Luna, I've seen Gin jump out a third story window and into a pile of firewood just to prove she wasn't "chicken"... she broke her leg, and Mum was removing splinters for the better part of a week. After that, there's not much that's gonna do damage, much less a piece of _fabric._ "

"Well, I care about Ginny, and it _was_ rather rude of you for doing that simply because you knew she had a point." Luna stated, drawing circles on Ginny's face as she flipped George off, who flipped her off in kind.

" _Enough."_ Cedric said, breaking up the bird contest by waving a crutch in between the two siblings. "We're getting off topic here."

"Off-topic of…?" Hermione said from behind Harry, who did not _squeak,_ thank you very much. After a short explanation (and a lost game of "Galleon-Parchment-Wand) Harry was up on the racks with Ginny and Luna, as Hermione sat on the floor and Ron leaned against the door to better hide the amount of people inside- if the compartment was crowded before, it was nothing compared to now, though somehow, by some sheer stroke of luck, no major incidents passed for the entirety of the trip. (If you discount Ginny "accidentally" falling on top of George once the train stopped)

Heaving his trunk out onto the platform, Hedwig's cage tucked under one arm, Harry caught a glimpse of Malfoy- he looked slightly disheveled and paler than usual, and unless Harry was misremembering things, Crabbe and Goyle were standing a lot closer to Malfoy than last year, almost… _protective_ of him.

Strange.

Following Ginny and Luna through the crowds the stopped in front of the carriages and hopped on- seemingly unaffected by the fact that the carriages, which in previous years had been pulled by _nothing,_ were now pulled by two black, skeletal horses with bat wings and dark eyes, who threw their heads back and stared at Harry, who stared back in kind, unsure of what to do.

"Oh, don't worry about the thestrals, Harry, they're very sweet actually." Luna said conversationally, and Harry had the strong suspicion that she and Hagrid would get along great as he loaded his things onto the carriages as well. True, the… thestrals _seemed_ docile, but if five years in the Wizarding World had taught Harry anything, it was never to trust anything at face value.

Hermione looked at Luna oddly- Harry doubted that she believed a word she had said the entire trip- as she and Ron boarded the carriage. With a jolt, it began moving forward, and towards Hogwarts, and for the first time in weeks Harry felt a small knot of tension in his chest loosen. No matter what, Hogwarts was his home, and he was always comforted by the familiar walls and sights of the castle.

Once inside, he felt even better, seeing Professor Mcgonagall lining up the first years to give a speech similar to the one he heard years ago. Nick was helping guide a few of the more rambunctious students back into their group, while the Fat Friar held an animated conversation with a gaggle of third year Ravenclaws. All around, the sound of happy chatter filled the air, along with… cheers?

Harry exchanged confused looks with Ron and Hermione, both of whom shrugged and looked just as confused as he did. The cheers were coming from inside of the Great Hall, and the closer they got to the doors, the louder and more distinctive they got, until finally, Harry pushed open the doors and-

_"Lupin?!"_

Without even realizing it, a wide grin broke out on his face, and he swiftly joined the cheers of "Lu-pin! Lu-pin!" echoed across the hall by nearly every single student. Lupin, for his part, looked very red but beyond pleased as he accepted many hugs and shoulder pats from different students.

Currently, the twins and Lee were forming a line to shake Lupin's hand and congratulate him as if he had accepted the role of Minister, complete with sweeping bows and showers of confetti and glitter, while a sour, toad faced woman in pink sat as far away as possible, a nasty and displeased scowl on her face. She looked vaguely familiar, in the way that an old and highly unlikable person might, and Harry made a mental note to stay out of her way. 

In addition to the newcomer, Professor Grubby-Plank sat in Hagrid's usual spot, and the man himself was nowhere to be seen, which didn't sit right with Harry. Dumbledore, however, was present as always, and stood a few feet away from Lupin, discreetly adding to the confetti shower, until he finally whisked the students away to begin the Sorting Ceremony when Flitwick walked over with a stool that was taller than he was, wearing the ancient, scruffy Hat to free up his hands. A few students chuckled at the sight, then fell silent once the large doors opened and the first years filed in one by one.

_The first years' faces glowed paley in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling, Harry recalled, fleetingly, how terrified he had felt when he stood there, waiting for the unknown test that would determine to which House he belonged._

_The whole school waited with baited breath. Then the rip near the Hat's brim opened wide like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat burst into song:_

_In times of old when I was new,_

_And Hogwarts barely started_

_The founders of our noble school_

_Thought never to be parted:_

_United by a common goal,_

_They had the selfsame yearning,_

_To make the world's best magic school_

_And pass along their learning._

_"Together we will build and teach!"_

_The four good friends decided_

_And never did they dream that they_

_Might one day be divided,_

_For were there such good friends_

_anywhere_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?_

_So how could it have gone so wrong?_

_How could such friendships fail?_

_Why, I was there there and so can tell_

_The whole sad, sorry tale_

_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach those_

_Whose ancestry is the purest."_

_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_

_Intelligence is the surest."_

_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach those_

_With brave deeds to their names."_

_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,_

_And treat them just the same."_

_These differences caused little strife_

_When they first came to light,_

_For each the four founders had_

_A House in which they might_

_Take only those they wanted, so,_

_For instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pureblood wizards_

_Of great cunning, just like him_

_And only those of sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and the boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor._

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,_

_And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus the Houses and their founders_

_Retained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy years,_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our faults and fears._

_The Houses that, like pillars four,_

_Had once held up our school,_

_Now turned upon each other and,_

_Divided, sought to rule._

_And for a while it seemed the school_

_Must meet an early end,_

_What with dueling and fighting_

_And the clash of friend on friend_

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downhearted._

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whittled down to three_

_Have the Houses been united_

_As they were once meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into Houses_

_Because that is what I'm for,_

_But this year I'll go further,_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether Sorting_

_May not being the end I fear._

_Oh, I know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within._

_I have told you, I have warned you…_

_Let the Sorting now begin._

_The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctuated, for the first time in Harry's memory, with muttering and whispers._

"Damn" Ron muttered, face resting in his fist. "Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?"

Harry nodded, looking over at Nick, who was stoic faced. 

"The hat's never done that before." Dean Thomas muttered, watching as Mcgonagall called the trembling boy ("Ernie, Abercrombie!")

"Actually, it has, though it is rare." Nick said, adjusting his large ruff slightly. "Why, the last time it happened, I had the same conversation with the parents of many of the students here, over twenty years ago. And then another thirty years before that."

Hermione looked curious, and was about to pipe up, before another name was called up. She waited until relative silence had fallen again to speak.

"So… you're saying the Hat knows when to warn the students?"

"Well, yeah," Ron said, tapping his fingers on the table. "I mean, all it does is just sit in Dumbledore's office. It's bound to overhear _some_ things."

Hermione considered this, and then nodded. Harry looked around at the Head table, and was not surprised to see the toad lady staring right at him with an unpleasant smirk on her face, which Ron noticed too.

"Damn, what's she looking at you like that for?"

"Oh Ron, don't you remember?" Hermione said, careful to keep her voice low. "Lupin told us about her. That's Dolores Umbrige, she works for Fudge, she's the one who hates 'non-humans.'"

Immediately, Harry felt a pool of anger in his chest. Sure, maybe _some_ people were genuinely bad, but if Hermione was right (and she usually was) this woman was responsible for Lupin losing his job the first time around, and the reason he never got another. Harry didn't know what strings Dumbledore pulled to reinstate Lupin, but if he managed to get him back as the DADA teacher… Harry could forgive him for some things. Not all of them, but some.

Throughout the Sorting, Umbridge continued to stare at Harry and the sea of students below her as if they were all tasty flies to be devoured, and Harry's hatred of her only grew once she interrupted Dumbledore's speech and not-so-subtly suggested booting Lupin out then and there, much to the outcry of the students below. One brave fourth year Gryffindor even threw part of a meat pie he had saved at Umbridge's face with beautiful accuracy. He was both immediately assigned detention and a hero.

In another universe, that would not have happened. In another universe, Seamus would've hated Harry, instead of high fiving him in joy as Umbridge wiped her face off and tried to plow on despite the deafening laughter below.

However, that is not this universe, and the night ended in the most spectacular way possible, and went something like this- 

As Hermione, Ron, and the other prefects rounded up their first years, Snape approached Lupin, whispering something in his ear. Mcgonagall looked furious, and Flitwick, who sat next to Mcgonagall, looked shocked, and raised his wand.

Lupin, however. held up a hand. At this point, only half the school was paying attention, right up until Snape said something else, which caused Dumbledore, who was passing by, to look aghast. Lupin, who's face held the neutral calamity of a saint, merely blinked-

And then punched Snape across the face, walking calming as ever to one of the exits on the sides of the High Table.

After a pause, hesitant applause rang out, and Harry could've _sworn_ Hermione said "Well, it was about time."

All and all, no one could say it wasn't an interesting first night back.


	14. Hooked on a Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO technically I'm... two days late as of posting this but! It's here! New chapter! AO3 was having some wackiness with not letting me paste from my phone's clipboard but I've figured out a way around it.
> 
> This- or one more, if I can manage- unfortunately might be the last chapter for a long while, as I'm about to enter some very dangerous- but necessary- changes in my life. I won't say much for now, as I don't know how deep my parents try and look for my stuff, but once I'm out, well, we'll see
> 
> Thank you all so much for sticking with me so far, I promise to make it with your while ♡

Hermione frowned at her messy desk, bundles of wires, small screwdrivers, little piles and scatterings of Floo powder, and burned phones occupying the spaces, the smell of acrid plastic and metal lingering in the air despite the open windows. In one hand, she held her wand, which was pointed directly at the burner phone in her other hand. This was her second-to-last one, and if this failed, she'd need to order even more than she already had, at which point  _ questions  _ would arise.

Lupin smiled kindly at her, holding the only other unbroken phone.

"One more shot?" he asked, and Hermione nodded. They'd been at it for hours now, long after she'd escorted the first years to bed and unpacked her trunk, but here, in Lupin's office, it was safe.

For now, anyhow.

With a quiet, desperate sigh, she motioned for Lupin to take his place on the other side of the room, and dialed his number, wand held tightly in case yet  _ another  _ fire needed to be put out.

"Can you hear me?" Lupin asked, from across the room  _ and the phone speaker. _

Well. After several long weeks of work and  _ many _ sleepless nights and fires, it was high time this was successful. The only other problems now were one: getting everyone's phones and programming them  _ exactly _ the same way she did this one, and two: coming up with an alternative form of communication, as cell phones were most certainly  _ not  _ a standard feature seen around school, nor were they, unfortunately, very  _ durable  _ either. But for the members of the Order, should they ever need to call for backup, well- now they could do so, even without a wand. Hermione felt proud of herself for accomplishing  _ that, _ at least, but the problem of in-school communication still remained.

Time for plan B.

Or, as Lupin walked her back to the Gryffindor Tower, because it was "two forty in the morning already, and you need to  _ sleep _ , please" it was time to work on plan B after a shower and more supplies were acquired.

(And maybe,  _ maybe  _ sleep.)

OoO***oOo***OoO

Harry awoke the next morning to the roaring laughter of his dorm mates and Ron shoving a photo under his nose. He hastily grabbed his glasses off the bedside table to see what the photo was, Ron talking a mile a minute into his ear.

"-only just got developed, but the Creevey brothers have been passing them out for only two Knuts apiece, which is a  _ steal-" _

And below, one of the most beautiful moments in Harry's life, captured on moving film- the way Lupin's fist hit without mercy, the way Snape turned nearly a full 180 degrees from the position he was previously in, and more details he didn't notice before, such as Professor Mcgonagall's hat falling off as she stood in shock, Professor Flitwick's startled laughter, or the deep, deep fear in Umbridge's eyes.

There could not have been a more perfect way to start his day, and it only got better once he saw that Fred and George were advertising some of their joke products- or, at least, test subjects  _ for _ the products.

**Gallons of Galleons!**

**Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?**

**Like to earn a little extra gold?**

**> \----*----<**

**Contact Fred and George Weasley,**

**Gryffindor common room,**

**for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs**

**(We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk)**

Ron and Harry were still chortling as they met up with Hermione and went down for breakfast, owls swooping down to deliver the mail, with one dropping an edition of " _ The Daily Prophet"  _ into Hermione's seat. Hermione looked very hard as if she was trying not to laugh at the picture clutched protectively in Ron's fist, but that went out the window as soon as Harry started humming "Mmm Whatcha Say". 

Professor Mcgonagall, who was unfortunately right behind them both as this happened, passed them their schedules with a look of disdain on her face, but amuse danced in her eyes behind the square spectacles, which Harry counted as a win.

Ron groaned as he read from his schedule, a forkful of eggs splattering onto the table as he waved his hands around. "Ah, fuck… Harry, are you seeing what I'm seeing? History of Magic,  _ double  _ Potions, Divination, and double Defense! We've got Binns, Snape, Trelawney all on the first day back!"

Harry grimaced. "... at least Defense won't be bad?"

Ron nodded slightly as he sighed, morosely chewing on a stick of bacon. Meanwhile, in contrast to Ron's unenthusiastic reading, Hermione read the newspaper with the determination of a woman on a mission, dark circles under her eyes.

"Hermione-" Harry began, wondering what had kept her up so late, but was cut off by Angelina tapping him on the shoulder with a pair of Chaser's gloves.

"Hi Harry, did you have a good summer?" she said quickly, as if she didn't have much time to talk. Without waiting for Harry to respond, she plowed forward. "Look, I've been made Quidditch Captain this year."

"Really?" Harry said, who had momentarily forgotten that Wood had already graduated and felt slightly guilty. "That's great! When's the next practice? Who's going to replace Wood?"

Angelina shrugged. "Dunno. But we need a new Keeper now, what with Wood out of the picture, so tryouts are on Friday, five o'clock, and I want the whole team there to see how the new guy- or girl- fits in."

Harry nodded, smiling, his mood lifted. He missed playing Quidditch last year, and with Angelina as Captain, her pep talks were bound to be much shorter than he was used to, which was a huge improvement. "Okay. Friday, five o'clock. Got it."

Angelina smiled back at him, ruffling his hair (as every member of the team was wont to do to him as the youngest, unfortunately) humming as she walked back to her friends. Harry attempted to flatten his hair back down- a losing battle- as Hermione idly flicked through the Prophet.

"I forgot Wood left." She said to no one in particular, frowning at whatever she had just read. "I suppose it'll make quite the difference to the team dynamics, won't it?"

Harry shrugged as Ron handed him some buttered toast- lately he'd been forgetting to eat, too preoccupied with his thoughts about, well,  _ everything _ , so Ron had taken it upon himself to make sure Harry ate some food three times a day like he supposed too, because Ron was quite possibly the greatest friend alive. "I suppose, yeah… he was a good Keeper."

Ron nodded in agreement, pulling Harry to sit next to him to avoid getting clipped by the gaggle of Ravenclaw fourth years swapping notes. "Still, it won't hurt to have some fresh blood, will it?"

Harry hummed in agreement as Ron fake-gagged at the note swapping. "Ugh, homework… plus, the  _ classes  _ today… I wish Fred and George would hurry up with getting those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

"Do my fine ears deceive me?" Fred said, unceremoniously shoving Harry to the side and popping down on the bench next to him, George stealing the toast out of Harry's hand. "My brother, a  _ prefect _ of Hogwarts no less, a fine representative of our noble school, wishes to- dare I say it-  _ skip class?" _

"Look at what we've got today." Ron replied grumpily, shoving his schedule quite literally under Fred's nose. "This has gotta be one of the worst Monday's I've ever seen." 

"And you can bet Umbridge will be in Defense to try and boot Lupin out as soon as she can, being one of Fudge's spies on the inside." Hermione added darkly. Fred nodded in agreement as he ruffled Harry's hair, pretending to not see the blatant bird Harry was flipping him. ""Fair point, little bro. I'll sell you some Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked, as Hermione hissed at Harry to  _ "stop,  _ please, you'll get us all in trouble!"

"Because," George said all too cheerfully as he ate his stolen toast. "You'll bleed until you shrivel up like Dumbledore's ballsack, we haven't found an antidote yet."

" _ Gross."  _ Ron said, pocketing his schedule. "With a metaphor like that, I think I'd rather just take the classes."

  
  


OoO***oOo***OoO

  
  


History of Magic was, by common consensus across the board, single-handedly the most boring subject at Hogwarts, and possibly the entirety of the Wizard-kind. Although one might think that, being taught by a ghost, it would have it's perks, that thought diminished as soon as Binns spoke in his wheezing, droning voice, guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five during the warmer months. Harry and Ron counted themselves lucky that Hermione had lent them her notes all these years- they were the only things keeping them afloat in the subject, as Hermione appeared to be the only human alive who could withstand the mighty boringness of Binn's vacum voice.

So, as Hermione took notes, they tried- as they always did- to pay attention as well, but eight minutes into the forty-five minute lesson, Harry and Ron had taken to playing hangman (complete with a small animation charm to make the man swing) in the corner of a spare piece of parchment. It wasn't as if the subject  _ itself  _ was boring, as the Giant Wars were sure to have been epic battles to behold, but Binns may as well have read from an instruction manual on how to operate one of Uncle Vernon's drills, and Harry would notice no difference in his attention span.

"How would you like it," Hermione began, as they walked out off class, Harry having lost 10 out of 17 games to Ron. "If I refuse to lend my notes to you this year?"

"Then we'd fail our O.W.L.s," Ron said simply, a victorious grin on his face. "And you'd have to live with that on your conscience forever."

"It'd serve you right." Hermione said haughtily, readjusting her bag, which was both meticulously organized and nearly bursting at the same time- and it was only the first day back. "You two don't even  _ try  _ to pay attention!"

"But we're not as smart as you, Hermione, we haven't got your brains or your memory or concentration," Ron said as he slowed his pace down to take some books out of her bag and to lighten her load. "It's gotta be your superpower, I reckon. You're smarter than most everyone here, you could probably take your O.WL.S right now and ace them just like  _ that." _ and he snapped his fingers with his free hand. Hermione looked slightly mollified, even as she tried to continue protesting as they made their way into the Courtyard, which, Harry noticed, was less crowded than usual due to the dreary sizzle that had started after breakfast, casting everyone and everything in the same, bland, dull light.

Harry pulled his cloak tighter around him as a small, chilly guest of air blew past, longing for a warm room or fire, which he voiced aloud to Ron and Hermione, who agreed as the conversation turned to the likeliness of Snape setting them all on fire for their first lesson, and what sort of impossibly difficult potion they'd be made to brew.

"Hey Harry," a voice behind him said, and he turned to see Cho and Cedric walking toward the awning they were gathered under. Cho had a bright, sky blue badge pinned next to her Prefect one, two twin T's of gold entwined together. Oddly, Harry felt his face flush slightly as he replied- for whatever frustrating reason, whenever he saw Cho or Cedric- or, god forbid, saw them  _ together,  _ he felt hot and awkward.

He was probably just jealous. 

"Hey guys," he said, smoothing some of his hair down. "What's up?"

Cedric leaned in, a playful smile on his face, which really only made the hot, awkward feeling in Harry's chest and face grow. 

"We think we've found a place to practice," Cedric said, winking. "Meet Cho and I by the one-eyed witch statue at six tonight, we'll take you to it."

Harry nodded, but before he could say anything, Ron interrupted him, pointing accusingly at Cho's badge. "Is that a Tornadoes badge? You don't support them, do you?"

"Yeah, I do," Cho replied. Cedric looked at Ron oddly as he plowed on. 

"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league lately?"

Hermione slugged Ron none too gently as Cho coolly replied, looking at Harry.

"I've supported them since I was six…" she wisely lowered her voice. "Anyway, be there at six. We promise it's worth it."

And then, surprising Harry, she hugged him.

The awkwardness only continued to grow. 

It was a very nice hug.

As Cho and Cedric walked away, Hermione slugged Ron again, much to his chagrin. "Ow!" he cried, moving out of her reach as he was unable to rub his arm. "Cut it out, what's this for anyway?"

"Ron, you draft idiot, can't you see she wanted to talk to us about something more important than  _ Quidditch teams?!" _

"So? She could've done, I wasn't stopping-"

Hermione huffed in frustration, rolling her eyes. "And what on earth were you doing, attacking her Quidditch team anyway?"

"Attacking?" Ron said, frowning as he took a step back from an increasingly angry Hermione. "I wasn't attacking her, I was only-"

"Who  _ cares _ if she supports the Tornadoes!" Hermione cried, throwing her hands up and nearly knocking her books out of Ron's arms. Harry was still trying to wrap his head around the hug. And the wink. And the smell of cologne on Cedric's uniform. It was a very nice cologne.

Ron and Hermione were now doing what Harry called "the argumentative not-couple's tango". Hermione took two steps forward for each one Ron took back, and a half step for every full step he took to the side.

Sometimes, Harry hummed under his breath as he watched them. Today, he could only wonder what Cho would hum. Only the ringing bell was able to cut through his thoughts as cleanly as a knife, so Harry took it upon himself to shepherd the still arguing/dancing friends of his down to the dungeons as the fight continued.

Harry wondered if the place Cedric and Cho found was dark. Peaceful. Empty and devoid of clashing conversations. Perfect for-

The door banged open, and Snape swept into the room.

"Settle down," he said coldly, striding over to his desk. The room, which before had been filled with quiet chatter, silenced immediately. There was no need to call for order- Snape's presence alone was enough to make even the most disruptive and obnoxious of kids sit still and pay attention.

Harry sighed as Snape launched straight into a lecture on grades and O.WL.s while he and the other students set up their stations.

He had a feeling it was going to be a  _ very  _ long wait to six o'clock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm... possible Cedric/Cho/Harry??? Thoughts???
> 
> Also, while watching Gravity Falls with my siblings, I had the idea to throw Harry and Co into some magic shenanigans that they'd solve Mystery Twins style so... be on the lookout for that ;)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you again for reading!


	15. Shared Experiences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS LATE AND I'M SORRY. It's short but I'm already working on the next chapter, where we'll have a brief glimpse into Regulus's pov and how he's handling the "you-died-but-you're-not-dead" situation, before moving onto the first (unofficial) Dumbledore's Army meeting. Expect the next update to be longer, and if there's any characters you'd like to see a pov from, even if it's a short break, let me know! Sometimes taking up another piv is the best way for me to cute my writer's block. Also, for anyone curious, I'm still in limbo on my situation for now, but very hopefully that changes in a few weeks! And now, onto the story!

_September 2nd_

Potions class was, as Harry correctly predicted, absolute _torture_. Snape seemed to have reached a new level of hatred towards him after Harry exposed him for his past relationship with his Aunt, and that hatred _showed_.

The entire lesson he took every opportunity he could to criticize and humiliate Harry, until he was _seething_ , so furious and fed up with Snape he stormed out of the classroom a full five minutes before the bell, leaving Hermione and Ron to pack up his supplies lest Snape try to destroy them too.

Harry didn't know where he was going, his head filled with white rage and his thoughts a loop of _getawaygetawayDON'TGOBACKget **away**_ , the only thing he was sure of, was _aware_ of, was his desire to get far, far away from Snape, and ended up at the North Tower a full hour before Divination was set to start.

Ignoring the distant cries from Sir Cadogan's portrait, he slid down the wall he was leaning against and sat down hard, massaging a stitch in his side as the sickly sweet scent from the trapdoor above him wafted down. Now that some of his anger had bled off, he felt bad for leaving Ron and Hermione like that.

 _And_ he was missing lunch. Just another reason to hate Snape. 

Maybe Sirius' suggestions of hexing his mouth shut wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"What are _you_ doing here, Potter?" a familiar voice drawled, and Harry looked up to the pale and wane face of Malfoy, who was walking over to him with a slight list to the side. Oddly enough, his henchmen weren't behind him, which concerned Harry, as they had previously seemed glued to the ends of Malfoy's robes.

Harry rubbed a hand over his face, only just now realizing he hadn't seen Malfoy in Potions. That didn't mean he was willing to tell him he was early to a class because it was either this or duel _another_ one of his teachers.

"I'm… taking a leaf out of Hermione's book and trying my best to be a model student by showing up to classes early?"

Malfoy snorted, which startled Harry. He didn't know Malfoy was capable of such an 'undignified' thing.

"Nice try, Potter. I might believe that if you had your books. Or cared about anything that wasn't Quidditch or reckless stunts. _Or_ if you hadn't tried to smuggle a dragon in our first year."

"Well, I succeeded with the dragon- not that you have any proof- I do okay in most subjects that aren't Potions, and you're skipping classes now so I don't really think you're in any sort of position to lecture me."

"A- _ha_ , but _I_ have a note from Madame Pomfrey excusing me from all morning classes on account of a devastating migraine."

"If only that were true," Harry muttered, rubbing his face again- when did his scar get so _prickly?_ \- and glared in response to the smug look Malfoy gave him. "If it was, maybe you'd shut up for once in your life."

"Manners, Potter. I _am_ a Prefect now, I could dock points for this blatant level of disrespect towards an upstanding, rule abiding student." Despite this threat, he sat opposite to Harry, twirling his wand.

Harry spoke first, unsure if he wanted to deck Malfoy or feed him something like the malnourished ferret he so resembled.

… he needed to sleep more.

"You look like shit." Harry said into the yawning silence, which made Malfoy glare.

"Could say the same about yo-u...no, no. Stop." Malfoy walked- stomped, really- over and pulled his hands from his face. "You're going to give yourself a _horrible_ case of acne if you keep touching your face with those disgusting hands of yours."

"I can't help it Malfoy, my scar is _killing_ me." Harry muttered, huffing in annoyance.

Malfoy took out a handkerchief- embroidered and silk, of course- and pressed it into Harry's hand with a look.

"You're bleeding." was the only answer he gave, and as Harry pressed the cool cloth to his forehead, he found that there was, indeed, a small trickle of blood on his forehead, courtesy of his prickling scar, which was only growing in pain.

For whatever reason, Harry felt rising anger that had nothing to do with the situation at hand, and he tried to explain this to Malfoy, who scoffed.

"Maybe your blood sugar is low, Potter. Maybe you're mad at someone but you forgot why. Or maybe your childish adolescence has finally reached an unbearable stage for you, I don't know. It's not like I pretend to even try to know what's going on inside your head."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You sure try and dissect my actions and get my attention often enough, for someone who claims that."

"Don't flatter yourself Potter, I have a reputation to uphold as your second-worst enemy, or maybe your third, depending on how much you hate my godfather."

"Your-" then it hit Harry. "Snape is _your_ godfather?!"

Malfoy made a face, swiping his hand across his throat. "Quiet down Potter, do you want the whole school to hear?"

But Harry paid him no attention. "This all makes sense now! Why he's always playing favorites with you, why you're so chummy with him… _Jesus_. Should've known that he'd be your godfather."

Malfoy made another face. "About done there, Potter?"

He looked, Harry noticed, paler than before, making the circles under his eyes look like bruises, and making him look even smaller than he actually was. "I think you should actually go to the Hospital Wing. You look-"

"-Like death warmed over?" Malfoy finished for him. "Still can't, Pomfrey will owl a full health report to my mother and she'll fret even more. Might even pull me out of school, and as much as I hate your ugly mug and the fool of a Headmaster, I'd much rather be here then that deathtrap of a house. Or my own place, which the Dark Lord has so kindly claimed for himself."

Harry winced. He knew what it was like to have to live in a place where you didn't know what kind of pain the day would bring. The Dursleys had absolutely made sure of that.

Draco, however, seemed even more annoyed at the pitiful look, and huffed, crossing his arms. "As if _you_ could understand what that's like."

Harry thought on it for a moment, then pulled his sleeve back, revealing a splotch that covered most of his left forearm. Although faded, it was still noticeable if you knew where to look.

"What's that?" Draco asked, pretending to not be interested, but Harry could hear the curiosity in his voice. "A birthmark?"

"A _burn_ mark." Harry responded calmly, rolling his sleeve back down. "From my Aunt." a pause, then- "You know how it is."

Draco looked around furiously, but no one came down the corridor or ladder, as it was still twenty minutes to class. Biting his lip, he showed the palm of his left hand to Harry for a brief moment, a faint but long, jagged scar running from his pinkie to his wrist. "My grandfather." he explained. "Drinking problem."

And, somehow, this transformed into the two of them swapping stories and scars in hushed voices.

Always on alert. Always pausing, hesitating, unsure of what to say next. But a few times, an ironic smirk would cross one of their faces, and Harry had the bizarre realization that he was _getting_ _along_ with Draco Malfoy, of all people.

Right until the clocktower chimed, and the both of them scrambled up to their feet, Malfoy bolting before it could even hit the second note. Harry was left standing alone and clutching Malfoy's stupidly expensive handkerchief in his hand, which he shoved in his pocket before his friends could arrive, and stepped away from the ladder as the trapdoor opened and a flurry of fourth year Ravenclaws descended, Luna among them, clutching a copy of " _The_ _Quibbler_ " in her hand.

"Oh, hello Harry." she said in her dreamy voice, approaching him. "Did you know that You-Know-Who is actually a very intelligent acromantula taking the combined Polyjuice Potions of various political figures?"

At her matter-of-fact face, Harry couldn't help himself. He laughed so hard he had to lean against the wall to stop from falling over, and it took him a few minutes to compose himself.

"Thanks, Luna." He said, wiping actual tears from his eyes. "I'll remember to bring bug spray the next time I fight him."

Luna nodded very seriously, as if she had given him extremely valuable information. "I thought you might take a sensible approach. Peppermint also works against spiders."

Harry actually considered this, as he was pretty sure he'd hear that somewhere. "I'll... keep that in mind too."

Luna nodded again, and gave him a small, heart shaped crystal before she left. "For good luck, and keeping bad energy away." She said, then skipped down the hall to rejoin her group. She wasn't wearing any shoes, but Harry just chalked that up to Luna being Luna.

" _There_ you are," Hermione's exasperated voice said from behind him. "We thought you might have come here, but we weren't sure." Harry allowed himself to be shoved slightly towards the ladder by Hermione's demanding but caring hand, taking his bag from her and sharing a bemused look with Ron as he climbed into the classroom, settling down on an overly stuffed chair, feeling exhausted already at the prospect of the classes he had left, the upcoming meeting with the others after supper, and the _earlier_ meeting he had shared with Draco. He had a lot to think about, and a _lot_ more to write about.

Hopefully Hedwig would like the exercise.


End file.
